Prince of the Blood
by Aria6
Summary: Axel is a former slave, now a free man and fine warrior, and wants to be left alone. Unfortunately, family tends to come back to haunt you... especially when you're really the son of an emperor. Axel/Roxas some Sora/Riku, enjoy and please review!
1. Chapter 1

"I really think we need a new job."

"Uh huh." Axel murmured as he gazed up at the stage. His bisexual mind was firmly caught up in what the gnoll girl on the stage was doing to herself with her tail. It was definitely a sight worth a second look.

This was the kind of bar any respectable human wouldn't be caught dead in. Or rather, they might be caught dead in… as food for one of the patrons. Fortunately, Axel was as far from respectable as it was possible to be and still be breathing. That and his little friends had made him a permanent fixture of the Down and Out Bar in the city of Amateru.

Amateru itself was as far as possible from respectable as it was possible for a city to be without being burnt to the ground by an outraged populace. Built on the edge of the Sword River, just as the river opened into the Gulf of Dark Storms, it was a perilous but rich location. Trading ships from all over the world passed through… along with pirates, buccaneers and every kind of criminal and non-human imaginable. Considered to be a festering hive of evil by most, Amateru had managed to secure its position by a combination of diplomacy, geographical advantage and military and magical might. The Gulf of Dark Storms was aptly named, and the great weather witches of the city could rile it into a devastating cauldron for any invaders by sea. And anyone approaching by land would find steep cliffs in their way… and the Black Jewels would have them. The elite fighting force of Amateru, they kept themselves honed to razor sharpness. The rulers of Amateru never forgot that many, many other lands longed to put an end to them.

Axel was only peripherally aware of this. Most of his mind was concentrating on the gnoll, who had moved on to several indecent acts with a human looking girl for a partner. The audience of men, and not a few women, were rapt. Except for one of his friends.

"Really. This gig is starting to suck, Axel." Roxas picked up his mug, taking a long drink of his dire brew and sneering a little at Sora. The brunette boy was staring up at the stage with a deer in the headlights look on his face. Roxas was sure he was suffering a boner under the table, not that he was going to look to check.

"Uh huh." Roxas blinked and turned his head to look at the redhead, seeing the dreamy expression on his face… and suddenly realized that Sora might not be the only one with a boner.

"And your bisexual ass isn't going to see anything of MY ass for a week if you don't pay attention to me!" Roxas snarled, and Axel's attention abruptly snapped off the stage to his lover. There was nothing like a threat of enforced abstinence to get his attention.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Axel said contritely as Roxas glared. He could spot the grin threatening to peek out beneath Axel's apology. But he finally sighed and repeated himself.

"We need a new job, Axel. I know you owe Riku but we're barely getting by these days." Axel winced at the reminder, and glanced at Sora. The younger boy was still fixated on the stage, not listening at all. But Axel could see that he was a touch too thin, not quite malnourished but not well fed.

None of them were at their best. Riku was a crackpot. Axel had admitted it to himself years ago. Axel still owed the man… owed him more than he could repay… but it didn't change the facts of the matter. He was a man on a mission, and that mission was to clean up Amateru, one dead criminal at a time. He was an angel hybrid, so he had the power to be a genuine threat… but the city was mostly laughing. For every criminal they took down, there were two more stepping up to take his or her place. And it didn't pay worth shit. Riku seemed completely indifferent to that, but Axel was getting very tired of living on mushrooms. And he was sure it wasn't healthy, even if they were underdarken varieties.

"I know. But…" Roxas tried to feel understanding as he watched Axel glance at his wrists. The scars there had never quite disappeared. "You know what he did for me."

"Isn't seven years of your life enough repayment?" Roxas said softly, dead serious, and Axel lifted his gaze to look into his blue eyes.

"Maybe it is." Axel finally said, and Roxas blinked. He hadn't expected Axel to say that, and it gave him a sudden hope. Was Axel getting tired of it all? "If it were just me, I'd stay, but…" Axel glanced at Sora, and Roxas understood.

Roxas and Sora were both demon-kin. Born to the same succubus, they were full brothers… but Roxas was five years older than Sora. Their father was a powerful wizard, powerful enough to enslave a succubus to his whims. Neither one was at all interested in the children they had created. They had been thrown into the streets like so much trash. But even an infant demon-kin was capable of surviving. They began to walk within hours of birth.

Still, Roxas knew he probably wouldn't have made it if he hadn't run into a redheaded boy. Still raw from his experiences, Axel had dragged Roxas home to Riku and begged the angel-kin to save him. Understandably unhappy about the presence of a demon-kin, the half-angel had finally caved to Axel's begging and let him stay. And five years later, when Sora was born, Roxas had felt the emanations of his distress and gone to save his brother. Just in time… Sora had been cornered by a pack of feral worgs. A few moments later, and there would have been nothing to save.

The two brothers were very different from each other, yet oddly similar. They both had very spiky hair, although Roxas' was blond while Sora's was brown. Roxas showed his demon blood plainly, in little black horns in his spiky blond hair and tiny bat wings that fluttered with his mood. Sora could have passed for human, as long as you didn't notice his sharp nails. Despite being the son of a succubus, Roxas was more in tune with his violent nature than his sensual one. He didn't charm people, he ripped their hearts out. Sora, though, was a charmer. He had all the succubus instincts, and could make people love him with just a few sweet smiles. It was mostly unconscious now… Sora was very young, barely two years old… but Roxas knew it wouldn't stay that way. Sooner or later, Sora would learn how to use his unnatural charm. And it was just as well. Roxas had all the toughness of a true demon, but Sora was almost as fragile as a human. He needed all the advantages he could get.

The three of them were absolutely inseparable, and Roxas smiled as he looked down at the ring on his finger. It was just gilded brass… all they had been able to afford… but it was in the shape of a crown. And Axel was wearing an identical ring on his right hand. Amateru didn't give a damn who you married, as long as you paid the proper taxes on it. And thanks to the politics and diplomacy involved, such marriages were officially accepted by almost all nations. Not that it would stop them from getting stoned to death in some places, but Roxas didn't plan on ever leaving Amateru.

"…I need to talk to Riku first. Try to convince him this just isn't working." Axel finally said after contemplating his beer for a long moment. Roxas was tempted to sneer, but just heaved a sigh. Riku did mean well, really. But…

"When he's got an idea in his head, knocking it out again takes an act of god. Or the devil." Roxas said sourly, and Axel flashed him a grin.

"I know, but I've got to try. Maybe it'll make a difference when he realizes I'm serious." Roxas snorted. He doubted it would… but maybe, just maybe it would. Riku had been thoroughly charmed by Sora, and Axel had been his loyal follower since he was twelve. Maybe the threat of losing them both at once would concentrate the half-angel on something other than his quest for justice. "Um… do you mind if I…" Axel looked at the stage, and Roxas sighed, rolling his eyes.

"If you must." Roxas was completely gay, and while he could see the attraction of breasts in a fluffy pillow, urge to suckle sort of way, he was immune to the performance going on. "Sora, stop wanking off under the table." Sora squeaked, tearing his gaze away from the stage, horrified.

"I was not!" Roxas grinned and glanced over as the door to the tavern slammed open with a loud crash… then blinked.

"Huh, that's weird." There were a half dozen human soldiers in the tavern now, along with a couple of magic types. Either they were good at what they did, to be invading the Down and Out like this, or they were suicidal. They didn't look suicidal to Roxas. The crowd in the bar seemed to feel the same, and just watched curiously as the group consulted something and looked around the room. Curiously, no one was running yet. Usually, when someone was a target of a group like this they'd already be trying to scramble out the back door.

"What is… Oh. Flying. Fuck." Roxas blinked at Axel and went pale as he saw the redhead slowly sinking under the table. This was bad. So was the way Axel reached up, grabbed their wrists and dragged the two startled demon-kin down with him.

"What have you done?" Roxas hissed softly to him, but Axel didn't answer, peering out from under the table. There was the sound of feet heading their way, then…

"WASSUP BITCHES!" Axel abruptly threw the table at the soldiers, knocking several of them down and vaulting through the rest, dragging Roxas and Sora with him. Sora yelped but Roxas recovered from the surprise quickly, pounding after Axel as they hit the streets running.

"What did you do?!?" Roxas shouted to Axel, who just shook his head.

"Nothing!" Roxas didn't believe that for a second but decided to save his breath. He could hear feet behind them, and these people were determined.

"Prince!" Roxas blinked at that call behind them. Someone would bring royalty to Amateru with less than a brigade? Were they insane? Axel only redoubled his speed. They were breaking away but-

_**WHAM!**_ The wall of pure magic materialized in front of them abruptly, and all three of them smacked into it with bone jarring force. Sora went down like a load of bricks and Axel wasn't much better, clutching his head and groaning. Only Roxas was semi-functional… and he was stunned in a different way. Something like that was _powerful_ magic, _really_ powerful… like archmage powerful. What in hell could Axel have done to piss off someone like that? Then the soldiers fell on them, and Roxas belatedly started fighting. There was a lot of swearing as the soldiers got them under control, but they seemed incredibly well prepared… for Axel at least. The redhead managed to get himself back together enough to try to summon his chakram, but one of the soldiers dug an icy spike into his side, making him scream in pain and losing the grip on his fire just long enough for them to yank his arms behind his back and start putting on chains.

"Let me go you hamster fuckers!" Axel writhed in their grip, green eyes flashing as he panted at the strain, his red spikes almost glowing in the dim light of evening. Roxas pretending to be cowed… and suddenly launched himself at one of the magic types. If only they could be eliminated… the next moment proved that was a bad idea, and Roxas screamed as he was hit with a lightning spell. It wasn't meant to kill, but it was clearly calculated for maximum pain. Roxas lay twitching as the soldiers hurried to get chains only him as well. "You have no right! None! Let me GO!" Axel's shriek was impressive, but no one in Amateru cared. The passersby were watching the scene curiously, but not about to take any action.

"Will you come willingly, my prince?" The wizard who had taken down Roxas asked Axel, calmly. Axel snarled back.

"Not in a million years!" The wizard, a blond haired man, regarded him thoughtfully… then nodded.

"Then forgive the discourtesy." He gestured, and one of the soldiers punched Axel in the head. Axel slumped to the ground, unconscious, and one of the soldiers spoke up.

"Sir. Should we bring these… creatures as well?" His distaste for demon-kin was obvious, and Roxas snarled a little, revealing his sharp teeth. The wizard turned his head to regard them thoughtfully, and Roxas saw he had icy green eyes. He would have been attractive if he'd been a little less cold.

"Yes, I think so. He clearly values them. They might be useful." The soldier nodded, and Roxas found himself and Sora being dragged along as Axel was carried to a ship at the harbor. Roxas could only stare, stunned, as he recognized the crest on the sails. This was a warship… from Lusteria, the largest and most powerful empire in the world. And he suddenly realized that that was the colors the soldiers were wearing… silver and black, the colors of Lusteria.

Surely this was some kind of horrible mistake. What could the empire of Lusteria want with two demon-kin and a former slave boy? But… they'd made it clear that they were only interested in Axel. And Axel had known it. He'd known they were after him immediately… and the wizard had called him Prince. Roxas mind was in turmoil, and he desperately wanted to know the answer to one question…

What was going on?


	2. Involuntary Travel Plans are a Go

"Axel. Talk. What the _hell_ is going on?" Roxas demanded. Axel hung his head for a moment.

They were in the hold of the ship, chained securely to the wall with neck cuffs. The metal was very heavy… not even Axel's fires were going to burn through it. The only one who stood any kind of chance of escape was Sora, if he managed to cute a guard into letting them out. And that was a remote hope. Succubus skills or not, this was a warship with soldiers for crew…. They had a mission, and meant to carry it through. Axel took a deep breath and finally raised his head.

"Roxas… I'm so fucking sorry. I should have told you this before you married me. But I… I thought it was all safely in the past. I mean, it's been seven years!" Roxas blinked. This was something from Axel's childhood. "I'm the third son of the Emperor of Lusteria." Roxas and Sora both gaped at the readhead.

"That's…. fucking preposterous!" Roxas managed to sputter out. "Axel, third sons of the god damned Emperor of Lusteria don't end up getting sold as slaves in Amateru!" Axel grinned, a bit sadly.

"You're underestimating my ability to completely fuck up, Roxas. I decided to run away at eleven because I hated my dad, hated my family, hated my life and wanted to be a mercenary. So I managed to put the slip on my bodyguards… that took some planning, believe me… and stowed away in a Swartheld ship going to Amateru." Roxas frowned and Sora blinked. That was… amazingly stupid.

"Didn't you know…?" Sora said questioningly, and Axel shook his head.

"No. That's the problem with being a prince… or a young prince, anyway. No one had explained to me WHY the Swartheld always go to Amateru, when they taught me about the trade patterns. Didn't want to dirty my virgin ears with things like slavery and sodomy." Axel's smile was full of vinegar. "When they found me in the hold, I figured it out rather fast… but I wasn't going to tell them who I really was, no matter what they did to me. I really hated my father." Axel shrugged. "Not smart, maybe, but I've always been a stubborn bastard."

"Not smart is right!" Roxas was a bit amazed. He knew exactly what Axel had gone through as a child. Axel had plenty of sexual hang-ups because of it. Roxas had a dominant streak and would have liked to take Axel once in a while… but he couldn't. Even riding his cock on top was a struggle… if he tried to do anything more dominant than that, Axel either freaked and started to struggle or froze up completely. Neither one was at all sexy. Roxas had considered trying to help him with that, gradually getting Axel used to being topped… but decided it just wasn't worth the effort. He liked it this way just fine, after all.

And now, he'd just found out that Axel could have stopped his torture with just a few words. Well… if the pirates had believed him. They probably wouldn't have. But if they had, they would have ransomed him back to his father immediately. Axel sighed.

"Yeah, I know. Well… now you know why these guys are taking us to Lusteria. I have no idea why my dad wants me after seven fucking years, but apparently he does." The two demon-kin exchanged glances.

"Third son. That's not too far down the succession." Roxas mused. "I wonder if your brothers have had a fatal accident?" Axel winced.

"Roxas… I love you a lot, so please, please, don't say that. That would be a fucking nightmare. I want to be the Emperor of Lusteria the way I want a hole in the head. Eating mushrooms with Riku forever would be a paradise in comparison." The two demon-kin exchanged another glance. This was… difficult for them to understand. They were children of the streets of Amateru.

"Axel… isn't being an Emperor kind of, oh, nice? I mean, good food, lots of concubines, that sort of thing? Not that you'll be getting much use out of the concubines." Roxas added as an afterthought, and Sora giggled at the thought. Roxas had a jealous streak and he was sure any concubines trying to get Axel would get bitten. Axel rubbed his face for a moment, closing his eyes.

"Roxas… it's kind of hard to explain." He was sure they wouldn't really get it. How could they? Roxas and Sora were used to having next to nothing, and they took their freedom for granted. "When I was a kid, everything I did was watched. I had no freedom at all, and everything was reported to my father. And he's a total asshole, Roxas. Nothing I did was good enough. And my brothers both beat the shit out of me all the time… I was a lot smaller back then, you know that…" Roxas nodded. Axel had been a small child, although it had just been late blooming. Once he'd started his growth spurt, Axel had quickly morphed into a tall, muscular man. "And I don't even want to start on my sister. She was first born, but girls can't inherit in Lusteria, so she tormented all of us. Me the most, since I was the easiest target." Axel took a deep breath. "And I had a temper. So all three of them would just push at me until I finally lost it… and then I'd be the one in trouble with father. Sure, there was enough food and a good place to sleep… but I would have done anything to get out. It was that or start drinking, which I considered." Wine was always available, even to children… although they were usually kept from really getting drunk. Axel wondered if anyone would have bothered in his case. Looking back on it, it seemed like they'd almost tried to destroy him. But then, a third son was only a threat to the first two, when it came to empires. "But I wanted my freedom, so I took it. And dad couldn't have looked that hard, or he'd have found me seven years ago." Whatever magic had brought them to him now could have been used seven years ago.

"…Oh. I see." And Roxas did see, although he still had a bit of trouble wrapping his mind around it. But he could see how a family situation like the one Axel was describing could turn even the most luxurious surroundings into a prison. Sora snuggled against Axel's side, hugging him, and Axel smiled at him, putting an arm around the small, frail boy. "Still, it should be better if your brothers are dead and your father wants you. Shouldn't it?"

"Hmph! I'll believe it when I see it." Axel sighed, shaking his head. "And even if it is, I don't want to be Emperor. I want to be what I am… a warrior in Amateru with a demon-kin marriage partner. Can you imagine how well that's going to go over at the court?" Roxas thought about it, and paled.

"Uh… no. Should we mention it?" Axel considered it for a moment, green eyes thoughtful, then shook his head.

"No. Definitely not. Father might execute you." Roxas swallowed as he realized Axel was dead serious. "He wouldn't give a flying fuck about my feelings, and you're a serious scandal as a marriage partner. As a concubine it's… not okay but at least not an impediment to a marriage alliance…" Axel sighed, running a hand through his red hair. "Fuck! I never wanted to have to think about this shit ever again. Thinking about what my father thinks, about marriage alliances and such bullshit…" Axel sounded almost ready to cry, and Roxas winced, joining Sora in hugging him.

"It's going to be okay Axel. It's going to be okay…" Roxas murmured to him, cuddling the redhead and hoping he wasn't lying. "I'll be there for you."

"I know you will." Axel murmured, resting his cheek in spiky blond hair. Then he frowned, looking up. "…I hope like hell we get to use the rail soon, or I'm going to have an accident in my pants." Sora giggled, but Roxas winced as he realized he was going to be in the same boat soon.

"Surely they'll-" He stopped talking abruptly as the door opened, and the blond haired man walked in. He paused a moment, examining them, and they returned the favor.

He was an icy sort of man, wearing light, padded cloth armor inscribed with runes and other mystical signs. It was the kind of armor a fighting wizard would wear, with no metal to impede the magic. Axel's armor was similar, but leather… a few studs didn't bother his type of magic. For a really powerful wizard, though, the tiny bits of metal in leather armor would be a hindrance. And something about this man radiated power. Cold green eyes met his, and Axel lifted his chin, meeting them challengingly. The man smiled slightly, and raised one hand… a hand holding a key.

"If I can have your parole, prince, I will release you." He said pleasantly, and Axel frowned. That was a promise to be on their best behavior. Which… would be really easy to keep on a ship, actually. What was he going to do, jump overboard?

"Alright, I won't act up on the ship." The wizard nodded, although he surely caught the corollary… that Axel would be on the make again as soon as they hit land. He knelt down, undoing the chains and Axel rubbed his wrists for a moment. Sora smiled sweetly at the wizard, but he seemed completely indifferent to the charm. "What's your name?" The wizard glanced up, meeting Axel's gaze.

"Vexen. I'm an imperial wizard, and also a member of the Royal Guard." Vexen said, and Axel nodded. He still remembered what that meant. It meant that Vexen was a very powerful combat wizard, and probably a researcher of some sort. Only the greatest wizards got to be imperial ones, and only combat wizards could be part of the Royal Guard.

"Thanks… now, uh, I really need to visit the rail." Axel stood and Vexen smiled faintly, amused.

"This way." He showed them the way up to the deck of the warship. It wasn't really hard, but it was probably just as well… Axel didn't have a whole lot of time left. Vexen politely looked away as they attended to business.

"Thanks." Axel finally said, a little embarrassed. Vexen waved it away.

"It was nothing. Are you hungry?" He smiled again as Sora's stomach grumbled audibly, and Roxas and Axel exchanged a look. "The food here isn't particularly good, but it's adequate." One of the sailors made a face at the wizard behind him, and Axel coughed into his hand.

"Anything would be great. Uh… can I ask you a few questions?" Axel wasn't sure the wizard would answer any… but Vexen nodded.

"As you eat." He led them back into the ship, and down into the galley. There were tables and chairs there, bolted to the floor so they wouldn't move in high seas. Roxas grimaced as he took a seat… they obviously hadn't been positioned for someone as short as him or Sora. But the food wasn't hard to handle… just biscuits and smoked sausage. Roxas began to knaw at the biscuit without complaint. It was a bit hard but edible. Axel and Sora were equally accepting… they were used to living on mushrooms, after all.

"So." Axel said after he managed to work off and swallow a piece of the sausage. "What in hell does my dad want me for after seven fucking years?" Vexen frowned slightly at the profanity, then shrugged.

"Alas, both of your brothers died only a month ago in a tragic accident." Axel frowned at that. Both of them at once? That was a touch suspicious. "It's a very long story, but the coach they were in crashed. The Emperor and your sister were fortunate enough to survive, although they were both gravely injured."

"Ah." Axel scratched his hair, then decided to try directness and see where it got him. "Definitely a genuine accident?" Vexen frowned faintly before responding.

"It appears to be so. The circumstances that led to it would have been difficult to arrange. Not impossible, mind you… but difficult. And it's hard to see anyone who benefited." Axel nodded slowly. If someone had been angling to become Emperor by assassinating the family, they were doing a poor job of following up on it if Vexen was here bringing him back. Although…

"Why in fuck would dad want ME though? Why doesn't he just name Larxene regent for her kids?" Axel wondered aloud, and Vexen coughed delicately.

"Your sister has abdicated any claim on the throne due to her, ah, intimate relationship with a demon-kin man." He said, and Roxas looked up, startled. "She refused to dissolve the marriage even under threat of exile. And naturally, any products of that union would be ineligible for the crown." Axel stared at him, shocked. When he'd known her, Larxene had been really bitchy about being denied a chance at the crown. She'd given it up when it was offered to her? Voluntarily?

"Hah! Good for her." Axel was amazed, but almost looking forward to seeing Larxene now. Maybe she had changed. People did grow up, sometimes. Although… Axel glanced at Roxas. The Emperor was not going to be pleased to see him, and he could tell Roxas was thinking the same thing. "I'm starting to see why he wants me… but what's everyone been thinking all these years? That I was dead?" That wouldn't surprise him. Vexen nodded.

"That was assumed to be the case. We only learned otherwise when a concerted effort was made to scry out who should be the heir to the throne." Axel winced at that. He didn't want to be the heir to the throne. This was all such a nightmare…

"Yeah… uh… anything else we should know about?" Axel was trying to think of more questions and drawing a blank. He couldn't ask Vexen if his father was still a complete asshat… the wizard just couldn't say bad things about the Emperor. And similarly, he couldn't really ask if Larxene was still a bitch or if she'd mellowed with age. Vexen considered it for a moment.

"Not particularly. I imagine the court is much as it was seven years ago, although the faces and power blocks have of course changed a bit… but I cannot help you much with that. I'm not particularly interested in politics." Vexen's gaze traveled over Roxas and Sora. "I do have a few questions for you, though. These two demon-kin. Are they your concubines?" He sounded only curious, but Roxas bristled and Sora looked down. Axel swallowed.

"Uh… yeah." He hoped Roxas would forgive him for that. And with Sora, at least, it was a complete lie. He'd never slept with the little brunette at all, although he was fairly sure Sora and Riku were intimate. Although you couldn't be sure with the half-angel. Axel wouldn't be surprised if they had only kissed and petted a bit, until Riku got it together enough to ask Sora to marry him. Axel frowned as he suddenly thought about Riku. Riku was going to completely freak when he heard about what had happened to them, and Axel had no idea what the angel hybrid would do. He only hoped it didn't turn out to be too suicidal… maybe they could get him a magical message explaining the situation.

"I see." Vexen shrugged. "The Emperor won't be pleased, but demon-kin have been concubines before." Axel nodded. He knew for a fact that his father had picked up at least one female demon-kin after his mother died giving birth to him. His mother had been angel-kin, in fact, which probably explained a lot of Axel's innate abilities. Roxas looked mutinous, but subsided as Axel gently touched him on the back. He understood that they couldn't just announce their marriage… at least, not yet. There might be a good time. "What have you been doing, since you left the palace?" Axel frowned. He didn't know that he wanted to talk about it… but what else did he have to do?

Under Vexen's probing and listening skills, Axel, Roxas and Sora gradually opened up about their life in Amateru. Vexen didn't seem horrified or judgmental about the things they took for granted… he just seemed interested, and kept things flowing with intelligent, insightful questions. Finally, though, there wasn't much more to talk about, and Vexen stood with a small smile.

"I should go back to my research. If you wish to practice with your weapons, just ask the sailors and they can make enough room on the deck for you." The marines in the ship were constantly practicing, so that was nothing unusual. Axel nodded.

"Thanks. Oh… how long is this trip going to take?" Axel's recollections of the time involved the first time were hazy. Mostly because it had felt like forever. His mind shied away from the thought and Vexen didn't notice the wince.

"About two weeks, if the winds favor us. If not, a month." Axel nodded as Vexen departed the galley, and Roxas muttered to him.

"Concubines…" Axel grinned, putting an arm around the smaller demon-kin boy.

"You know I love you." He whispered into Roxas' ear, and Roxas sighed and nodded. He did know, and he felt the same way… if he hadn't, he'd have been cheerfully trying to deny knowing Axel the instant he saw the soldiers. Demon-kin looked out for themselves in the world… but unlike real demons, they could feel the full range of human emotions, including love. Roxas sometimes almost wished it was otherwise… his love for Axel was complicating the hell out of his life, at the moment… but nothing would take Axel away from him.

Nothing.


	3. Blind Justice

Riku groaned as he woke up from a hot, sweaty dream to cold reality… and a ferocious erection.

"Damn." Sitting up a bit in bed, he glanced over himself and sighed. It was hardly the first time he'd woken from dreams of a certain brunette with a problem between his legs. In fact, it was getting downright common. So were the cold showers or, when he finally gave up, the warm showers and his own slow stroking as he relieved all the tensions building inside him. All the while dreaming of a little demon-kin boy.

Riku knew Sora was corrupting him. Demon-kin and angel-kin shouldn't be together, it just wasn't right. But it was an oh, so sweet corruption. And angelic heritage or not, Riku was, at the bottom of things, a man. A man with a man's needs… his breathing speeding up a little, Riku let a hand play across his own belly, sliding through short silver hair to find his throbbing length. Closing his eyes, he let his imagination take him away to a land of fantasy.

_Tender kisses on soft, warm flesh. A small body beneath him, blue eyes warmed with passion and a soft rosebud mouth opened in little pants as their cocks pressed together, the friction between them bringing bliss to both. "Sora. Oh, Sora." "Riku." That sweet, sweet voice rising in passion. "Riku!"_

Riku moaned, a soft, wanton sound as he released, splattering his hand and belly with his release. He relaxed, panting softly and blinking at the warm, post-coital high. He always felt this way after he masturbated to thoughts of Sora, no matter how wrong it was. And it was wrong. Sora was only two years old. It just wasn't old enough, even if he was physically mature. Riku steadfastedly refused to think about the fact that he'd first caught Axel and Roxas together the first year after the little demon-kin joined them. But Riku wasn't Axel and Sora wasn't Roxas. Riku was an angel-kin, not a damaged boy desperately needing love, and Sora was so much more innocent and sweet than Roxas. Riku wouldn't let anything taint that innocence.

Riku blinked, and then softly laughed at himself when he realized he'd come full circle from thinking about Sora corrupting him to protecting the demon-kin's innocence. That was probably about as futile as trying to protect a thief from temptation, but Riku still intended to do his best. Futile quests were his specialty. Pulling himself out of bed, he went to the shower to clean off the evidence of his activities. A quick, cold shower and he felt ready to face the day. Pausing a moment to look at himself in the mirror, Riku was rather pleased. He was young and strong, in the prime of his life and ready to take on the world. Small cherub wings fluttered behind him, useless for actually flying but quite pretty and a sign of his angelic heritage.

Angel hybrids like himself were actually quite rare. Angels could often come to earth for one thing or another, but they only would have sex with mortals when they were truly in love. Riku had never known his father… he'd had to return to Heaven… but he knew he and his mother had shared a rare love. Her eyes would light up whenever she thought about him. Riku's only regret was that he hadn't been able to stay. He'd always thought that his mother had died so young because she had no will to resist the allure of Heaven. She wanted to see his father again.

Demon-kin, meanwhile, were as common as angel-kin were rare. They were always living in the slums, an underclass of the poor. Many were very dangerous, descended from the rapes of mortal women by vicious demons. Often demons could be propitiated that way by truly vile wizards. Others were born from succubi and dropped into the mortal world to fend for themselves or, more rarely, the offspring of seductions of human women by incubi. Only the last really had a good chance at life and it was hard even then. Demon-kin were often treated very unfairly, Riku knew. Despite the instincts they had, most were, at the bottom of things, human. Much like Riku himself.

For the greater mass of humanity, breeding with angels and demons mattered not at all. The angel and demon blood faded quickly. Children of an angel-kin might have a few interesting abilities… Axel's fire magic was a good example… but after that the angel blood vanished unless it was deliberately bred for. Riku knew that at least one kingdom had deliberately maintained angel blood in their royal family that way, but the side-effects of inbreeding had gotten a little extreme. He didn't think it was worth it.

Shaking off his musings, he went to go start making breakfast. Axel and Roxas couldn't cook worth a damn and Sora needed a step-ladder to open all the cupboards. Which he would do if Riku wasn't around, but Riku liked cooking. Breakfast was fried mushrooms with a side of eggs. It should have been the other way around, but eggs were expensive and the mushrooms were free. Riku grew them himself just as his mother had, so long ago. Underdarken mushrooms were quite nourishing if not terribly tasty. And they just loved compost.

"Breakfast!" Riku called as he put the plates on the table… and stopped with a frown. There was no stir of activity, and usually Roxas would be out like a shot. The little demon-kin always seemed to be hungry. "Breakfast!" Nothing. Frowning, he set the cutlery down onto the table and went to check. "How late were you guys… out…" Staring, Riku was shocked to see that no one was home. The beds were messy but not in the way that made him think they had been slept in. Over the years, he'd learned to recognize the difference.

That might have been normal for Axel and Roxas. Those two could sometimes end up in unusual places. But where was Sora? It was downright odd for him to not be home. Axel and Roxas would generally drop him off before they went to do something truly bizarre. Riku frowned. Could Axel and Roxas have forgotten to bring him home? Or could something have happened to all three of them? That thought gave Riku chills and he wanted to think it was impossible, but he knew better. This was Amateru.

Ignoring the mushrooms, which were getting cold, Riku threw on his black cloak and picked up his blindfold, carefully tying it over his eyes. It had been his father's, and hindered his sight in no way. It was symbolic. His father had come down from Heaven to render justice to the rulers of Amateru at the time, who had managed to anger God himself. His father had been blind Justice and when he'd left for Heaven, he'd given his mother the blindfold he had worn. Riku tried to follow his example, although he knew he wasn't as good at it. No mortal could be. Still, he was trying and every rapist, child procurer and murderer he killed helped make the streets a little safer for a time. The city didn't appreciate him, but what could you expect? Most of the people living here had chosen to come.

Riku stepped out of the house purposefully, locking the door behind him and activating the house wards. If anyone tried to break in, they would get a warm welcome from his angel magic. Now… he needed to find his friends.

Hopefully he would find them alive.

Riku searched through the city for most of the day, questioning pimps and procurers with his usual brutal methods. It didn't take long for him to find out that three boys had been kidnapped off the streets with magic… but the stories diverged wildly at that point. Riku heard everything from they were taken by necromancers to they were taken by soldiers from Lusteria. Riku thought necromancers was more likely. What would soldiers want with Axel, Roxas and Sora? Everyone agreed, though, that the festivities had started at the Down and Out. So Riku found himself patiently waiting outside for the Down and Out to open. He was almost grinding his teeth from impatience, but he knew the proprietor had plenty of protections of his own. It behooved him to stay civil.

"Figured I'd see you here." The proprietor, a huge, ugly orc breed, grunted as he opened the door and put out the sign to show he was in business. "Get in and I'll tell you what I know if you buy something." Riku nodded. He could use a drink anyway. All this searching was thirsty business.

"Small beer, please." Riku needed to stay sober. The orc looked a little disgusted. "Large as you've got." A bit mollified, he filled a huge tankard which Riku proceeded to drain. "And another, please. It's been a busy day. Now, what do you know?" He demanded as the barkeep filled the tankard again. Riku sipped this one more slowly as the orc began to talk.

"It was soldiers from Lusteria." Riku blinked and silently apologized to that particular pimp. But who would have thought? "Came in here and went right for 'em. Axel saw them coming and made a break for it with the kids. Broke one of my tables." The barkeep didn't seem particularly unhappy about it. His tables and chairs were cheap and meant to break easily in fights. "I hear they caught 'im with magic and sailed off in the night on a warship."

"What? Sailed off?" Riku felt his throat close up. They were gone? Out of Amateru? "You're sure?" The barkeep nodded.

"I hear a lot, so yeah, I'm sure. But you can go check the docks if you're doubting me." Swallowing convulsively, Riku drained the last of his beer and put a few coppers down on the bar. More than the beer was worth, but the information had been priceless. The barkeep made them vanish.

"Th-thanks." Feeling stunned, Riku left the tavern. What in the name of God and all of his angels could soldiers from Lusteria want with Axel and co.? The thought was ludicrous! Nonetheless, if the owner of the Down and Out was right, that was precisely what had happened. "This is a nightmare." But he needed to be sure, so he set off for the docks.

It didn't take him long to confirm that everything the orc-breed had told him was entirely accurate. A warship had arrived in the day, grabbed his friends in the evening and sailed with the tide. The only other thing they had done was buy a few supplies and then they were gone. It was decidedly unnatural for any ship. Soldiers and seamen both enjoyed shore leave quite a bit. But a warship might do such a thing if they had a very specific mission in mind.

Riku felt like crying as he stood on the docks, staring out forlornly at the Gulf of Dark Storms. How was he supposed to get to Lusteria? That would cost a small fortune, and he was next to broke. But he couldn't just let his friends go. Riku was shaken to the core at the very thought. Axel had been with him for seven years, Roxas five and Sora two. They were… his family. The only family he had. But the only thing he had that was worth any money was the house.

_The house._ Riku's eyes widened behind his blindfold as that thought occurred to him. Property was worth quite a lot in Amateru. His house had been passed down to him from his mother, who had inherited it from her father, and so on and so forth. His human family had lived in Amateru for thousands of years, dating back to when it had been nothing but a bunch of fishing shacks. And they'd always had that house. It had changed a lot over the years, of course, but it was basically the same solid stone house that it had always been. They had never let it decay. If he sold it, it would be worth a small fortune. It could be rented out to six different families and Riku knew it would, in someone else's hands.

But it was his house. It had been his mother's house. Riku grappled with himself for a long moment. He'd anticipating growing old in the house and either adopting a child with Sora or finding a girl to marry and raising a brood of his own. And probably finally finding a respectable or quasi-respectable occupation to support them. He'd never imagined leaving the house or Amateru. The house was his.

_The house is just a thing. Axel, Roxas and Sora are people. They're my friends. A house doesn't matter compared to them._ Riku felt something in himself go still and peaceful at the thought. It was right. His father wouldn't have cared about a house and nor should he. It was the people that mattered. They could always get another house someday but if his friends died, there would be no someday. Just empty regrets and could have beens. He would do everything in his power to find and save them and if it wasn't enough, Riku could at least be comforted by the thought that he had done all he could.

Turning around in a swirl of black fabric, Riku started off purposefully to find the real estate agent. Amateru was lousy with them. Property changed hands frequently thanks to all the street crime, and no one wanted to get the taxes the least bit wrong so they all went through the real estate agents. If anything was wrong with the taxes, it could be their problem. The great crime syndicates of Amateru lived in fear of the true rulers of the city, the Black Queen and White King. It was said that the Black Queen was a risen demon and the White King was a fallen angel. Riku didn't really believe either, but he didn't rule it out either. Everyone paid their taxes religiously. Nasty things tended to happen if you didn't. Riku didn't see the dark streets, the overcast sky or feel the slow, heavy drops of rain hitting his silver hair. He was focused on his own world and people moved out of his way without thinking. They could spot a man on a mission. He finally reached a run down little building with numerous small offices for all kinds of services. The one he wanted had a small green sign with a house on it. A lot of people in Amateru couldn't read.

"Meli." Riku greeted the small, mousy girl as he entered her office. She was looking drawn and a bit pale, but smiled as she saw him.

"Hello Riku. What can I do for you?" She knew him because he had rescued her once from a demon-kin who had been aiming to rape her. Likely, he had been planning to murder her too when he was done with his fun. The city might laugh at him, but Riku only had to look at people like Meli to know he had done something useful with his life. Without him she probably wouldn't have been here.

"I need to sell my house." He said without preamble, and Meli gaped at him.

"You're selling your house? Why?" She knew Riku had lived here all his life and wasn't planning to leave. Riku took a deep breath.

"Someone has kidnapped my friends. I need the money to follow them." Meli looked sad, and Riku managed a smile. "It's only a house Meli. And I'll be back." She sighed and nodded, pushing back a bit of her light brown hair.

"I hope so, Riku. Well… to be honest, I'm glad to have a commission. Things haven't been going too well lately." Pulling out the paperwork, she got started filling it out. "I can think of three men I'm sure would buy your place. You need this as soon as possible?" Riku nodded. "I'll send a runner to them and see if we can get a fast quote. You realize this will be less than market value?"

"Of course. Just don't let them gouge me too much." Riku was fully aware he would be taking a loss for speed. That was fair enough. Even for large landowners, paying out the hard cash for a new property on less than no notice would be a bit of work. No doubt the men she had mentioned would have to quickly cash in some notes. But it would be worth it to them, to add a tidy little cottage to their immense holdings.

It took several hours to finish the entire transaction, and when it was over Riku had thirty thousand munny to his name. It should have been closer to forty thousand, but he accepted the loss philosophically. It was more money than he'd ever imagined having in any case. And it would be plenty to bankroll his trip to Lusteria.

"Thank you." Riku smiled at Meli, who smiled back sadly.

"Come back safely, Riku. A lot of people will miss you." Riku didn't doubt that was the truth. He had his fan club, mostly people he had saved from a terrible fate. "The city won't be the same without you." Riku wasn't sure of that, but it was possible. A crusading angel-kin with the blindfold of Justice was certainly a notable character, if nothing else.

"Thanks, Mina." He took her hand for a moment, then left the building, oblivious to the tears slowly sliding down her face. She had always had a crush on the handsome half-angel, although Meli had known for years it was hopeless.

She only hoped he survived. The city would be so empty without him.

Completely unaware of the private drama behind him, Riku went down to the docks. He needed to find a good ship to take him over the sea. The problem was, very few ships went directly to Lusteria from Amateru. Riku frowned as he tried to remember his geography. The Swartheld traders went direct, but Riku was absolutely not taking passage on one of their ships. Leaving aside what had happened to Axel, they were completely untrustworthy. If he'd had his friends they could have set up a watch but he was going alone. He needed a ship he could comfortably sleep on with the aide of a few booby traps.

His wandering gaze settled on a courier boat. It was from the Kingdom of Immersvale. If he remembered correctly, they were to the South of Lusteria. Unconquered largely due to being completely inoffensive and useful for money laundering, the small kingdom did business with Amateru fairly regularly. They always had couriers coming and going, bringing messages for factotums and diplomatic communiqués for the Black Queen and White King. The courier ship wouldn't be going to Lusteria, of course. It would probably be going back to Soshim, the capital of Immersvale. But from there, he would be able to find a whole host of legitimate merchantmen going to Lusteria. Some would be going to the capital, too, and Riku thought that was the best place to begin his search. It would take a bit longer but be infinitely safer than trying to book direct passage.

Mind made up, Riku walked over to the dock manager. He would be able to get him in touch with the captain of the courier and there was almost always the possibility of hitching a ride on ships like that for the right price.

It felt good to be moving with a plan. Although Riku wouldn't be content until his friends were safely with him again.


	4. You've Gotten Fat, Dad

"I miss Riku." Sora said sadly as he stood at the rail. Axel gently put a hand on the brunette's back.

"We all do." And they did. Even Roxas was starting to miss the half-angel. Riku could be so vexing that you forgot how much of a rock he was. Riku might be a crackpot, but he was their crackpot and not having him around was like missing a tooth. An aching hole was left behind.

But it was worse for Sora. Axel knew the little demon-kin had been head over heels in love with Riku and too shy to take Roxas' advice and pounce the angel-kin into the bed. And Riku was like most of his kind, waiting for true love and marriage. Lust wasn't love, although the two might go hand in hand. Either way, Riku was waiting for marriage and along with Sora's shyness, they had both been masturbating hard. Axel smirked to himself. Riku probably thought no one knew, but he had a tendency to moan in his sleep. His smile faded as he thought about the silver haired man. There was no way Riku could buy passage to Lusteria. Most likely, they would never see their friend again. That Riku might sell his home to follow them never occurred to Axel. They all knew how much his home meant to him.

"Hey you guys!" Axel looked up as Roxas ran up to the rail, smiling evilly. "Want something to drink?" He pulled out a small earthenware jar, and Axel lifted his eyebrows.

"Where did you get that?" It couldn't have been anything legitimate. Although he wasn't going to say no, however Roxas had gotten it. Taking a deep pull from the jar when it was passed over, Axel quickly identified it as a very sweet tawny port. It wasn't his usual… he preferred beer… but it was definitely acceptable.

"I won it at dice. And yes, I was cheating." Roxas said, unperturbed as Axel laughed. Sora took a long drink, a bit of a blush starting on his cheeks and the tips of his ears. Axel smiled at that… Sora always turned red when he was drinking and it was actually rather adorable, in his opinion. Then he passed the jar back to Roxas, who took another drink from the jar before stoppering it. "So are we almost there yet?"

"It should be soon." Axel was actually looking forward to getting to Lusteria. Not because he was eager to get there, but because being on a ship brought back bad memories. Very bad memories… Roxas had to poke him awake several times every night to keep him from waking everyone up. They both knew that if he started to moan, it would eventually turn into screams. And the whole situation was putting a serious crimp in their love life.

"Good. This ship smells like ass." Roxas growled, and Axel smiled faintly.

"It's actually not bad at all, believe me." The sailors and marines were keeping this ship spotlessly clean… not like the Swartheld slavers had done. Axel shivered for a moment, then put an arm around Roxas. The demon-kin blinked at him, then snuggled up against his side. "Just a few more nights, and we should be there."

"Good." Roxas closed his eyes as he basked in Axel's warmth, and they all just stood there, looking out over the sea.

It would be good to finally get off the ship, no matter what.

* * *

That night, Axel shivered in his sleep but made no sound… his dreams were memories, but not the worst that had happened to him. Tonight, for some reason, he was dreaming about a silver haired man instead.

_Axel shivered in the cold air of the Gulf of Dark Storms. He was standing on the deck of a dirty, vicious looking little ship. Hard, dirty hands gripped his shoulders, then found his face, stroking over his childish, barely pubescent features and making him moan in pain. He was so small, so frail and bruised. Bright green eyes met dark brown and the Swartheld trader… a pirate in all but name… grinned down at him, showing broken, dirty teeth._

"_Almost to Amateru, chicklet." A hand slid down, gripping his bare bottom and making him moan again. He hurt there worst of all. "We'll see what kind of price you fetch soon, fire hair. You're small, but the boy brothels like that." Axel shuddered and began to quietly sob. He couldn't help it. He'd wanted to escape his family… not enter this hell. But he didn't know how to get out. Even if the pirates would believe who he was, how could he face his father now? The pirate laughed, and large hand gripping the chain that led to the cuff around his throat. It was the only thing he was wearing. Trying to hold back his sobs, Axel stared blankly as the harbor approached._

_His only hope now was that whoever bought him wouldn't have quite so many men rape him every night. Axel didn't think his brutalized body could take much more of this treatment. And the new slave brand on his right shoulder blade wasn't helping. It burned with every breath he took, reminding him that he was a slave now and always would be._

_The man holding his chain yanked him forward as the ship was being tied up, and Axel stumbled before managing to right himself and walk down the gangplank. He needed to keep up or he would be dragged. Axel kept his gaze on his feet as he walked, so he was surprised when the pirate abruptly halted._

"_Where did you get that?" Axel glanced up to see a silver haired man wearing a blindfold looking at him. Then he frowned slightly. How could the man see him with a blindfold on? Was he blind? But then how had he known Axel was there? And he certainly looked as if he was looking at him. The pirate laughed._

"_Stowed away in the hold. What's it to you, angel-kin?" Axel's eyes widened. He knew his mother had been angel-kin and he knew the stories. Angel-kin were almost always heroes and good people. Putting all his pleading into his eyes, Axel stared at the silver haired man. The man tilted his head to one side, seeming to think about it._

"_I could use someone to keep the house clean. How much?"_

"_Three thousand munny." The pirate immediately responded and the silver haired man snorted._

"_Oh please. He must be twelve years old. He might be small now, but he's not going to be for very long. The boy brothels won't pay you full dollar and you know it. One thousand." They haggled for a long moment as Axel waited, heart in his throat. They settled on one thousand five hundred with an extra hundred and five added on for tax. That surprised Axel a little. Wouldn't a private sale be a way of getting out of tax? But apparently not although the pirate had saved auction fees. The pirate undid the cuff on his neck and shoved him at the angel-kin, who offered him a hand. Axel took it automatically, noticing for the first time that the angel-kin was quite a lot taller but not actually a lot older than him. Probably only fifteen._

"_I think I have some old clothes at home that might fit you." The silver haired man remarked as he led Axel through the streets. Axel winced as something caught on his bare feet but didn't say anything. "What's wrong? Oh. Here." Axel tensed as the angel-kin suddenly picked him up, then relaxed, curling against the man's black robe. "I'm Riku, by the way. What's your name?"_

"_Axel. Thank you." Axel said softly. Whatever the silver haired man wanted with him, it had to be a thousand times better than being sold to a boy brothel._

"_You're welcome. I don't actually need a housekeeper, but you can do that until we figure out what else you can do. I hope you don't mind mushrooms, that munny was most of the food budget for this month."_

"_Anything is fine." The pirates had been feeding him… well, Axel didn't like to think about what they'd been feeding him. Axel lifted his head from Riku's chest to look at his blindfold. "Why'd you buy me?" He was sure now that he was going to be a burden on the angel-kin. Riku walked silently for a moment before replying._

"_I knew as soon as I saw you that you wouldn't have much of a chance. You're too old for the boy brothels, really. But too small for much else. The boy brothels aren't really that bad compared to the things a child like you can be sold for." Axel shuddered at the reminder and buried his face in Riku's chest. "Don't think about it. It's over. You're safe now." Axel nodded, finally relaxing completely._

_He could trust Riku. He was safe now._

Axel relaxed, falling into a deeper sleep as the dream changed into memories of the other important person in his life.

_Axel paused in his work as he heard a growling from an alleyway. He was delivering papers to help earn some money for Riku. It all went to food and clothing for him. Axel was starting to sprout like a weed and he always felt hungry no matter how many second helpings Riku let him have. And Riku was certain that mushrooms alone wouldn't let him reach his full growth, so they needed the money for more nourishing things._

_He really should ignore the stuff going on in the alley. It wasn't his business. But Riku had been teaching him to fight and he knew the angel-kin was on a mission to clean up Amateru. So when he heard a young, male voice scream then curse, Axel couldn't just walk past. Pulling out the shiv he kept in his boot, he ventured into the alleyway to see what was wrong._

_It turned out to be a very small blond demon-kin boy cornered by two large troll breeds. He'd already bitten them and was putting up a good fight, but Axel was sure he knew how it would end. Troll-breeds had almost rock hard skin and the boy was fighting with nothing but nails and teeth. He was penetrating but not getting deep enough. Axel's eyes narrowed and his hand tightened on his shiv as he carefully remembered what Riku had taught him about trolls._

_Darting in at just the right point he sank his shiv hilt deep into the back of one of the trolls, right into his spine. The troll went down with an anguished howl, startling his companion who turned to meet the new threat. Axel tried to yank out his dagger, cursing… but the blade was stuck in the hard cartilage. Axel knew he was in trouble but it turned out that ignoring the little demon-kin was a bad idea. The troll went down in an explosion of blood as the little blond leapt onto him and managed to tear out his throat with nothing but teeth and claws. Axel blinked, impressed by the ferocity. Hesitating, he approached the boy as he growled and licked off his nails._

"_Uh, hi. I'm Axel." He offered as the demon-kin looked up with a frown. Bright blue eyes examined him for a moment before the boy nodded._

"_I'm Roxas. Thanks and stuff." Axel examined the boy for a moment as he kept cleaning himself off. Roxas didn't look too good. He looked very thin, with bones showing far too prominently and his clothing was nothing but rags. He was probably a street child. Axel hesitated. It was stupid but something about Roxas made him want to help him. The way Riku had helped him._

"_Want to come with me?" Roxas shot him a distrustful look and Axel explained. "You could stay with me and Riku. I'm sure he'd let you stay!" Actually, Axel wasn't sure of that. Riku was an angel-kin and Roxas was demon-kin. They wouldn't naturally mesh. But Axel had found that if he begged long enough he could usually wear Riku down. Roxas hesitated. Normally he'd have assumed Axel wanted to use him and told him where to stick it, but he recognized the name._

"_The angel-kin?" Roxas knew they wouldn't mesh too, but figured he could deal with that. And a safe place to sleep was absolutely priceless for a street child. "Sure, why not." If nothing else, he was sure he'd be able to get a free meal out of it. Axel smiled, offering him a hand, and Roxas hesitated, then took it._

_Neither of them knew this would be the start of something beautiful._

Axel sighed as he descended into a deep and dreamless sleep. And for the first time in weeks, he would awaken feeling truly rested.

Just in time to reach Lusteria.

* * *

"Lusteria!" Vexen gestured to the city sprawled below them as all three of them stared. It had been so long that it was new even to Axel, and the two brothers had never dreamed of a city like this.

It was at least five times as big as Amateru, and Amateru wasn't small. This was a monster of a city, covering an entire island and continued on the mainland across a very narrow strait. Combined with the fortifications on the island, that little strip of water made the central part of the city almost unassailable by siege, Axel knew. The city had only been taken twice in the entire history of Lusteria and then only by treachery during civil wars. A foreign enemy had never taken it.

The city didn't have a name of its own. It was simply the City of Lusteria. With his experience of Amateru, Axel looked over the city with new eyes and didn't particularly like it. It was a beautiful city made out of white and grey stone, but now the buildings seemed very uniform. Lusteria might be the greatest empire in the world and its capital might have goods from all over the continent, but it didn't embrace a cosmopolitan philosophy the way Amateru did. The citizens of Lusteria were firmly convinced of the superiority of their own culture. Shaking his head, Axel dismissed the thought. His feelings on architecture wouldn't matter to anyone. They barely mattered to him.

"It's amazing!" Sora said reverently, and Vexen smiled, pleased as the warship pulled into the harbor. It was a tremendous harbor, even larger than the one at Amateru and filled with thousands of ships. Axel's eyes slid past the ships to find the one building that towered over all the others. Even from here, he would see the onion domes of the palace. They were really quite pretty, brightly colored, and he knew when they got closer that the palace itself would be a feast for the eyes. That had been one of the few things he'd really enjoyed about his home as a child. Dread surged through him, and he took a deep breath as Roxas squeezed his hand. Looking down into concerned blue eyes, Axel managed a smile.

He couldn't help but feel the dread, though. When he'd been a small child his father had been a huge man, towering over him and yelling into his face so many times. Axel knew, intellectually, that his father couldn't possibly be that intimidating to him anymore. He was a man grown. But the boogeyman of his childhood could still frighten him and he'd truly hated and feared his father as a boy. Meeting him again was the stuff of nightmares. But it had to be done. The soldiers were watching the three of them like a hawk now, and Axel had no illusions. If they tried to escape they would be chained and dragged to the palace.

Soon they were making their way to the palace, and the crowds in the streets parted for them as the heralds shouted… his name. Axel flushed as he realized people were staring and pointing at him. This was absolutely normal for a member of the royal family traveling through the streets of the city on official business and, after his time at Amateru, it was hideously embarrassing. No matter what, Axel couldn't think of himself as royalty.

"I hate this." Roxas complained. "I feel so exposed." Axel nodded. He felt that too. When you were used to the safety of anonymity, suddenly being the centre of attention made you feel vulnerable. Sora hid behind Roxas, making him growl. "Sora!" Axel laughed, ruffling Sora's brown hair.

"Come on, take it like a man Sora." He said with a grin, and Sora looked at him with big, pleading eyes.

"Can't I hide like a demon-kin instead?" He asked, and Axel shook his head with a smile. Vexen waved to catch their attention, then pointed at a statue in the middle of the square they were approaching.

"That's Kelark the Unifier. He was the original founder of Lusteria." Axel let the tourist guide stuff roll over him, but Roxas and Sora were interested. They knew nothing at all about Lusteria, so this was all new to them and Vexen clearly appreciated having an audience. Everyone was happy. Too soon, though, they were arriving at the palace. Axel swallowed hard as he saw the gates to the Royal grounds. They were just as he remembered them… huge, monstrous things decorated with gilded bas-relief scenes of everything from war to construction. Sora stared wide-eyed as Roxas looked disgusted.

"That gilding would be picked off in no time in Amateru." He said, disgruntled, and Axel managed a small smile.

"Not if the Black Queen and White Queen owned it." They had no obvious property in Amateru at all, but if they did, Axel was quite sure it would go unmolested.

"Well, true…" Roxas still thought it was a ridiculous way to use gold, to decorate a door, but decided to give it up. It wasn't any sillier than most things gold was used for he supposed. The gates swung open as they approached, revealing the grounds and Sora gasped. Even Roxas looked a little impressed.

The Royal gardens were spectacular. Axel knew that was largely due to the customs of Lusteria, since his father couldn't have given less of a damn about flowers. Whenever a high noble past a certain rank visited the capital, there was a feast and the gardeners needed to make floral decorations in the noble's colors. With demands like that on the flower beds they needed to be huge and in every color possible to grow. Combining necessity with artistry, the gardens were a confection of beautifully arranged, glorious blooms. There were trees as well, mostly fruit trees like cherries and apples that could be counted on for good blossoms part of the year. Stone walkways ran through the gardens and there were plenty of benches for anyone who cared to bask in the sun. None of it was due to his father's orders… the royal gardeners had just been maintaining things exactly the way they had always been for generations.

The palace itself was beautiful too. Made out of unusual, warm golden stone, it was covered in intricate decorations. Axel smiled a little at the brightly painted and gilded fretwork. Along with the onion domes in all their beautiful colors, including gilded, it verged on garish. But to a child it had been a delight and Roxas and Sora were clearly impressed. Axel could still be taken in by the fairy tale charm of the place, if he let himself just absorb it.

If only the people living there had matched the building. Sighing, Axel glanced around as they were escorted into the palace. The interior was just as he'd remembered… just as rich as the outside. Axel glanced at the ceiling consideringly, and smiled. Yes, all the quasi-obscene paintings were still in place. As a child he'd had fun embarrassing his caretakers by innocently asking them to explain why that one particular man had his face buried in that woman's chest. Although they'd eventually caught onto him and started just shoving him out of the room.

It wasn't a short walk to the throne room, and they passed by numerous interesting things along the way. Roxas had to tug on Sora's shoulder a few times to keep him on course, but Axel couldn't blame the young demon-kin. There were pedestals everywhere with precious items and artifacts. Some were quite easy to understand… things like a tremendous emerald with a golden statue of a rearing horse on it, or an immense, flawless diamond that reflected carefully placed lights into a dazzling display of colors. Some were harder to get, though. There was one battered helm on a pedestal that made the two demon-kin look at it curiously. There didn't appear to be anything special about it and Axel decided to explain. Vexen seemed distracted by something, now that they were in the palace.

"That's from the Shonto. We invaded and burnt their capital to the ground about, oh, five hundred years ago. That was taken from their Sultan at the time… I can't remember his name. Couldn't hold it, though." Axel was pretty sure that if he could somehow visit the palace of the Sultan of Shonto, he would find they had some equally embarrassing item to commemorate a victory over Lusteria. The two empires had been warring off and on forever. It was pretty much accepted that it would only stop when one or the other ceased to exist, but so far they were both still here. Although the Shonto couldn't claim to have razed Lusteria's capital to the ground, so they did have a bit of an edge. Axel suddenly frowned as he realized he was thinking of himself as being Lusterian again. That… wasn't right. Amateru was home, and being here didn't change that.

Axel swallowed as the reached the doors to the throne room. The immense marble opened with scarcely a whisper, a miracle of engineering, but he didn't care. The throne room was more opulent than anything they had seen so far, gilded and gloriously decorated with a mosaic floor and tight, geometric designs on the ceiling. But Axel was oblivious as he looked at the man sitting in the throne.

It was a severe shock. Axel hadn't really known what to expect when he saw his father again… but this wasn't it. He remembered a strong, vigorously cruel man with hair as red as his own and hazel eyes. What he was seeing now…

"Hello father. You've gotten a bit out of shape." Axel heard himself saying insolently, and marveled at his own daring. It was nothing but the truth though. His father had put on quite a few pounds, although there was still muscle under the fat. The red hair was streaked liberally with grey, and he wasn't looking too healthy. Particularly with his face turning purplish that way. That was actually a little alarming.

"Axel!" Axel flinched. The bellow was still the same, though. "Ungrateful brat! Where in the nine Hells have you been? We searched the entire damned city for you." Axel shrugged.

"Amateru. I liked it there, too. So why am I here after seven years, father?" His father grunted, glowering at him like his presence was a personal affront.

"You damned well know why. I'm sure the ice maiden told you." Vexen stayed serene at that insult, but Axel caught the quick flash of dislike in his eyes. "You're the heir now, boy. And I expect you to start doing the job properly this instant!" Axel opened his mouth intending to ask what his father was smoking, then shut it with a click as his father waved. "Show him around and get him settled Vexen. I'm too tired for this." Axel frowned, wondering if his father really was ill as they were shown out of the throne room. Hadn't Vexen mentioned that his father and Larxene were both badly hurt in the accident that killed his brothers? Maybe that explained why they wanted him back so badly.

He was sure he would find out eventually.


	5. Roxas is a Horny Devil

"That was odd." Axel mused as Vexen started showing them around the palace. He really couldn't remember most of it, so it was useful. Roxas glanced up at him.

"The Emperor, you mean?" Axel nodded, although he couldn't think of him as anything but father. As a prince, he'd never needed to use titles.

"Yeah. He didn't even seem to notice the two of you. That was strange." Although not unwelcome. Vexen hesitated.

"While it is not really my place to discuss this, the Emperor has not been entirely well since the accident." Axel nodded thoughtfully. That matched his little theory. "He tires very easily and finds it difficult to concentrate. Most likely he felt the need to collect himself."

"Axel!" The small group turned to see a woman with very blond hair walking towards them. Roxas blinked as he saw the odd little antenna her hair seemed to make naturally. She was smiling and carrying something that wiggled and-

"Ohmygosh so cute!" Sora squealed, making Roxas and Axel both flinched and rocketing forward to take a look. She grinned, lowering her arms a bit so he could get a much better look at the baby she was holding. Axel smiled, just watching as his sister quickly fell to Sora's unnatural charm. Or his interest in her new baby, it was hard to say. Examining her, he could see she had changed. When he'd known her as a child she had been rangy and intense and had carried around an aura of suppressed rage. Now she actually seemed like a normal person, not someone you'd be afraid to approach on the street. She had also filled out a little, probably from her pregnancy, but Axel thought it was a good change. It just made her look a bit lusher.

The baby she had really was a cutie, Axel had to admit. A haze of soft pink hair and big blue, happy but slightly confused eyes were looking at Sora. The baby smiled back as Sora smiled at him, and babbled something happily that made Sora coo. It was all a bit cute overload.

"His name is Maemi, and mine is Larxene." Sora beamed at her as she smiled back, and Axel was sure now that his succubus charm was active. Larxene couldn't have changed THAT much.

"I'm Sora! This is my brother Roxas and this is Axel." Sora said happily and Larxene nodded at Roxas before her gaze settled on Axel, green meeting green.

"Axel." Larxene hesitated before drawing a deep breath. "Before we go on, I just want to say. I'm really sorry I was such a bitch to you. You were a little toad sometimes, but you didn't deserve that." Axel swallowed heavily. The last thing he had expected to hear when he came home was an apology.

"It's okay." His voice was husky. Somehow, hearing that from her meant a lot to him, although he wasn't sure why. "You weren't the worst, anyway. That was Logan. Did he…?"

"Ever change?" Larxene completed his question and shook her head. "No, he stayed a toad until the day he died. You know he was always a copy of daddy dearest." Her contempt was all the more vicious for being so cold. Not that it was surprising. Axel knew her hate had always been equally spaced out between him and his two brothers, with his father getting a good dollop of it too. Although he'd probably earned it. Larxene deliberately lightened her voice, holding up the baby a bit. "Want to hold him, Uncle Axel?" Axel blinked and laughed.

"An uncle at the age of nineteen? I feel ancient. Sure, if you show me how." Axel had less than no knowledge of babies. Sora had been only a week old when Roxas had finally found him, but he'd looked like a six year old child. Demon-kin grew unnaturally quickly at first. Larxene grinned and carefully showed him how to support the baby. "Hey there Maemi, you're a cute little bug." The baby gargled up at him and Axel couldn't help but grin. It was too cute. "How old is he?"

"Only three months. Adorable, hey?" Larxene seemed quite proud of her new motherhood. "You'll have to meet my hubby, Marluxia. He's the twelfth son of the Sultan of Shonto. I met him on a diplomatic trip there." Axel nodded, unsurprised. He'd been wondering how Larxene had met a demon-kin man, but that made sense. The Shonto, like many cultures, practiced multiple marriages. Lusteria looked down on it but over the centuries, a few Emperors had had more than one official wife for diplomatic reasons. And offspring of such unions were legitimate and completely acceptable matches for visiting royals. Despite the hostilities, Shonto and Lusteria often traded extra offspring during times of peace.

"He looks like he'd be tasty with a bit of hot sauce." Was Roxas' opinion, and Sora poked him as Larxene laughed.

"You're not allowed to be alone with him ever. Demon-kin… so what did you think of father?" Larxene suddenly asked, and Axel frowned.

"Is something wrong with him Larx? His face turned all purple when he yelled at me. I've never seen him do that before." It really had been alarming. Larxene shook her head.

"The old tyrant is failing. It was that damn accident." Grimacing, she rubbed her left arm with her right. "I still have an ache in my elbow when I think about it, and I came off lightest. Damn near lost Maemi though." Her eyes darkened at the thought, then she shook it off, smiling down at her son again. "Father though, he broke a hip and both legs." Axel winced. Those weren't small injuries for a young man, and his father was far from young. Not that he actually cared. His father had done nothing to generate any concern for him in his life.

"That doesn't explain why he hunted me down, though." Axel said, slightly irritated. "Why didn't he just name one of the cousin's heir?" Larxene grinned, and winked at Vexen, who studiously looked away. Axel blinked at the byplay as Roxas frowned. What was going on?

"The first cousins are thin on the floor. In fact, the only male first cousin you've got is Demyx. And he begged Vexen there to find anyone else to take it." Axel closed his eyes in mental pain for a moment. If there was any 'heir' his father hated more than him, it was Demyx.

Demyx was his cousin and resembled Larxene a bit, but was everything his father detested. He played the sitar constantly, and wrote rather nice poetry. He was entirely uninterested in anything martial or political. He and Axel had been friends in a very distant way… his cousin was three years older than him, which was more than enough to stymie any close childhood friendship. But they were both adults now and he might be someone worth looking up. But if Demyx was the only other viable heir, it was going to be difficult to get out of this. And he badly wanted out. Axel was feeling stifled already.

"Maybe you should go get ready for supper. It's only going to be in an hour or so, and you'll need a lot of work to be presentable." Larxene said, glancing over all three of them critically, and Axel bit back a groan. He knew she was entirely right and it wasn't the kind of thing he wanted to think about.

"Yeah, you're right. Thanks Larxene." He smiled as they parted ways… he was really happy to see that at least one of his family had changed into a worthwhile human being. It was a pleasant surprise.

Axel was a bit dismayed at himself for the next hour. It was distressingly easy to fall back into the habit of letting servants tend to his needs. And he couldn't refuse… he knew the palace servants would be terrible distressed if he did. Worse, from their perspective, if he didn't let them do their job the chamberlain might decide they should be taken off of him in favor of something else. And whatever that was probably wouldn't be as pleasant as tending to a prince. So Axel let them bathe him and brush his hair, and help him pick out what to wear. That part was welcome. Fashions had changed a lot, although none of the clothing he had quite fitted. Axel vaguely wondered where it had come from. He was probably going to be spending a lot of time with the royal tailors soon.

"Axel!" The door to his room slammed open just as the body servant was pulling his boots on. Axel looked up with a blink as Roxas stormed in, scowling thunderously. "You asshole!"

"What?" He was baffled. Roxas jumped onto the bed beside him in a stunningly swift move, grabbing his shirt and pulling him down close enough to kiss. The body servant was clearly taken aback and the other servants fluttered, thinking about calling the guards but not quite ready to do it.

"Why didn't you WARN us that there would be women trying to wash us?" Roxas growled. "Sora got a boner at the worst possible moment and it's ALL your fault!" Axel's eyes widened and he laughed at the mental image.

"Uh, sorry. It didn't occur to me." It was highly amusing though. The palace wasn't that used to demon-kin, so they'd probably put nursemaid types in charge of Roxas and Sora. And neither one of them was used to the kind of care royalty got. "But now that you've mentioned it, that image is going to making me giggle all night- ow!" Axel rubbed his head, wincing. "That hurt."

"It was supposed to." Roxas said tartly, then pulled Axel into a deep kiss, running his nails over the back of his neck in a caress that made the red head shiver in pleasure. The servants were scandalized, but Axel couldn't care less. "Try to be a little more considerate, Axel."

"Sorry." Axel murmured into his ear, arms around his hot little blond lover. Glancing down, he saw that Roxas had been dressed in slightly baggy blue silk clothes. They weren't really his style, but they matched his eyes perfectly. "You're looking great."

"So are you." Roxas said with a smile, and it was true. Axel's clothes were black satin, embroidered with small gold, orange and red birds at the cuffs. The motif was a little odd, but Axel knew they were meant to represent the crest of the house, the phoenix. The servants had always liked to dress him in that due to his fire magic. Apparently, a lot of people regarded that as a sign. Axel wasn't sure what it was supposed to be a sign of, but thought it might have had something to do with his oldest brother hating him so much. Not that it mattered much now. "Now, since I've got your attention. What do Sora and I need to know about supper?" Roxas' eyes narrowed as Axel swallowed and tried to think.

"Don't spit on the floor?" Roxas rolled his eyes as Axel grinned. "I really don't remember a lot, Roxas. I was pretty bad with the cutlery. I kept getting beaten over that." Although he was willing to admit that had been somewhat justified. Not learning proper table matters was a huge faux pas for a prince, and he'd just been doing it to be contrary. "Why don't we all just watch Larxene and do whatever she does?"

"I guess that's a plan." Roxas allowed. "Your sister is a lot nicer than I expected."

"I was surprised too. She wasn't like that when I was a kid." It was definitely a pleasant surprise though. One of the servants cleared his throat meaningfully, and Axel grinned. "I think it's time to go, Roxy. Ready?"

"As I'll ever be." Taking Axel's hand, the demon-kin led the way out of the room, impatient to get started. Axel smiled as he saw Sora was outside the door and waiting for them, looking slightly traumatized. He was wearing a red and white outfit that made him look even younger than he normally did, and a very pretty young servant was with him, smiling. No doubt the nursemaids had thought he was just too cute. Axel took Sora's hand with a smile as the servants led them to the dining room.

It was a massive, massive room. It had to be, since the dignitaries of a dozen nations, foreign princesses and miscellaneous others were filling it. Axel had to go to the head table, of course, and fortunately it seemed they'd decided to put Roxas and Sora there too. Although it made Axel feel a little bad for them… they would have probably been far more at home in the lower tables with the ambassadors of nations who didn't know anything about cutlery either, and couldn't care less. The lower you got the less the table manners mattered. Still, he was very glad Roxas would be sitting beside him even if it would put him directly under the eye of the Emperor. Axel found himself sitting at his father's right hand. And, curiously, a girl he didn't recognize at all was sitting to his father's left. She smiled at him sweetly and he felt a sudden foreboding as he examined her. She had lovely auburn hair, drifting freely around her shoulders and she was wearing a very elegant gown of white and gold silk, embroidered with gold and decorated with seed pearls. It was very innocent and virginal. To her left was Demyx, and he grinned brightly at them. Axel had to resist the urge to throw a dinner roll at him. Servants brought out the first course, a very rich lobster bisque.

"I trust you're as completely useless as you always were." His father said sourly as he watched Axel pick up a spoon. "Try not to embarrass yourself too much."

"Watch it dad. In Amateru I wouldn't bother with a spoon." He said dryly, and it was completely truthful. In Amateru you just drank from the bowl, even at the fanciest restaurants. His father just grunted and Axel decided to ignore him and concentrate on the soup. It was definitely worth the attention. He hadn't had food like this in, well, forever. Not that it made up for the rest of the palace. Roxas glowered at the bowl and was clearly considering just picking it up, but Axel nudged him surreptitiously. The girl across from them giggled, and Axel met her gaze, interested.

"I'm Princess Kairi of Allesha." She said softly, and Axel recognized the name of their Northern neighbor. "I was engaged to your brother Logan before his accident."

"Oh, I see." Axel said neutrally, but he didn't like where this was going. She should have gone home after Logan's death. That she hadn't and was still sitting at the Emperor's left hand didn't bode well. Although it was a bit odd that the princess was making no pretense of grief over her 'beloved's' death. Then again, she'd probably known him just long enough to dislike him. Logan had been able to generate that reaction effortlessly.

"What was Amateru like?" She said innocently, trying to draw him out. "I've heard it's full of evil and decadence."

"Evil, oh yes. The decadence is so-so, mostly because the place isn't very sophisticated." As much as he liked Amateru, most of the people living there got their culture from yogurt. Including himself. Axel grinned at the thought, eating a bit more of his soup before talking again. "I think there are exactly five fancy restaurants in the place."

"And he knows that because we went through their garbage before the rag pickers chased us off." Roxas volunteered, grinning evilly as Demyx gagged theatrically. Kairi didn't seem put off, though, and just laughed, a soft tinkling sound.

"It sounds fascinating! If you go with a large guard, at least. Please tell me more." She asked sweetly, and Axel shrugged and began telling her some amusing anecdotes about his time in Amateru. Although he was pretty sure a few of them were technically too gross for a princess, he didn't really care, and his father-

Was asleep. Axel blinked as he noticed the old man had drifted off, and swallowed. How badly was his father doing? He did not want to be Emperor on a bet but if his father was falling asleep during court feasts, someone would be taking his place soon. More courses were brought out but Axel hardly tasted them as he entertained Kairi and worried about the future.

"Hey, if you're not eating that I want it." Roxas nudged him and Axel glanced down at his eel pie. He'd never liked eel.

"Sure." He passed it over to the demon-kin, who promptly devoured it. Sora was talking animatedly to an older woman, the wife of the chamberlain if Axel remembered correctly. She seemed to share the general feeling that he was just too cute.

The meal was actually very pleasant as far as court feasts went, but Axel was desperately glad when it was over. Finally back in his room, his body servant began to help him strip and was pushed away by a jealous and irritated Roxas. Roxas favored the man with a glare and growled at him.

"All of you clear out. I have been celibate long enough!" Axel blinked and laughed as the servants immediately vanished. This wasn't the usual way things were done, but they had more sense than to argue.

"Aw, poor Roxas, two weeks without any-mrph!" Axel ended upon the bed with a horny little demon-kin kissing him deeply. Axel quickly flipped Roxas onto his back, grinding their hips together and cupping Roxas' butt with both hands and giving him a squeeze. He wanted Roxas just as much as the blond boy wanted him, and Axel started to work off his clothes as Roxas unbuttoned his shirt. Soon all the clothing was puddle on the floor, and Axel was exploring Roxas' sweet, almost hot skin and slender, well-muscled body. Pausing for just a moment, he yanked open the bed stand drawer. If the servants had been doing their job it would be fully stocked. Grinning, Axel quickly found what he was looking for and pulled out a bottle of lube.

"Hey, how did they know we would need that?" Roxas said, a touch puzzled, and Axel laughed.

"The servants knew I brought home two demon-kin probably before we reached the palace, Roxas. It doesn't take a genius to figure out we'd need this." Coating his fingers in the lube, Axel started to stretch Roxas out, finding his prostate and slowly stroking it. Roxas moaned, his little wings fluttering and tensing as his cock jumped with the pleasure of it. Axel smiled, watching his twitching erection as he kept gently stimulated the demon-kin. Soon Roxas would-

"Argh, Axel! Take me already!" Roxas squirmed, gripping Axel's shoulders and dragging the red haired man onto him. Axel laughed and lubed himself up a bit before slowly pressing into that tight, wet heat. Roxas made a guttural, primal sound that sent shivers up Axel's spine as he eased himself farther… then abruptly shoved all the way in. Roxas cried out in pleasure, his nails drawing thin lines of blood on Axel's shoulders. "Fuck yes! Harder!" Axel obeyed his lovers command and set a fast, almost punishing rhythm. Roxas loved it, moaning and arching as his muscles clenched tightly around Axel. "Yeeees. _Ngh. Yes!"_ Axel had to fight with himself not to release right then, but he managed it, slamming Roxas into the bed over and over again. It felt so good in there, so hot and tight and perfect with the boy he loved more than anything in the world…

"Roxas, oh god, Roxas." Axel breathed into his ear as the demon-kin made another of those incredibly sexy, primitive sounds. Reaching down, he stroked Roxas quickly with one hand, feeling the throbbing of his erection in his hand. Roxas suddenly came with a loud scream, his creamy juices splattering over them both and his insides clenching around Axel powerfully. Axel's world dissolved into white heat and sparks as he followed Roxas, his own scream almost as loud as the demon-kin's. Breathless, the two lovers lay tangled together, just savoring the afterglow and the feel of each other.

"God Roxas, you're so wonderful." Axel murmured in his ear when he had some breath back. "What did I do to deserve you?" Roxas laughed softly and kissed his cheek, licking his jaw in a slow, sensual motion.

"You saved my life and you're the hottest thing on two legs." Roxas murmured back and Axel grinned, slowly sliding away from the exhausted boy. "Oh, and I love you."

"I love you too." Axel held Roxas close, and the two of them drifted to sleep, curled together on the covers.

No matter what happened, they would always have their love.


	6. Kick Him Inna Fork and RUN!

"I have to say, Axel. Being here might suck and all, but this beats the shit out of fried mushrooms." Roxas commented as they ate their breakfast. Axel could only nod. Breakfast was waffles with cream, sweetened with sugar and a whole basket of fresh cherries from the garden. Even if they'd had an unlimited budget, this meal would have been impossible in Amateru. Cherries didn't grow there.

"…I get hard all the time at anything!" Sora suddenly burst out, and the other two stopped eating to stare at him. "Especially when I see tits! But I want Riku, not a girl! It's not fair, what's wrong with me?"

"God, Sora, we're trying to eat here." Roxas complained as Sora buried his face in his hands. Axel guessed there had been another incident with the nursemaids this morning.

"It's called puberty, Sora. Demon-kin style. Sorry?" Axel could remember that time with Roxas. That had been what had led to them getting intimate in the first place, in fact. Fortunately he'd been a randy teenage stud with enough stamina to do it three times a night if that was what Roxas wanted. And Roxas had most definitely wanted. The thought of doing that now though was quite exhausting, and he was just nineteen. Axel suddenly grinned. _Riku has no idea what he's getting into._ Sora was likely to kill him, when they finally fell into bed together. If they ever got the chance. Axel sighed. "Sora. If you want, I can see about setting you up with a courtesan." Sora looked horrified at the offer until Axel explained sadly. "Since the odds of seeing Riku again aren't that good." Sora winced, looking down. He knew that was true, but…

"No. I-I want Riku." He muttered, and Axel nodded, glancing at Roxas. He understood the feeling. No one could substitute for Roxas. Roxas just looked annoyed with the whole thing and bit a cherry in half.

"Whatever. Masturbate more." Sora squeaked, going a bit red. "God Sora, you act like such a girl. Are we really related?"

"Oh shut up! Just because I'm not all nasty about it like you…" Axel tuned out the friendly, brotherly wrangling in favor of his breakfast. It really was very good, fluffy and sweet. A good start to what was probably going to be an unbearably tedious day.

The first thing they started with was the tailors. Axel wasn't the least bit surprised… it would take at least a few days to make the clothing so they needed to get the measurements immediately. Pretty soon, though, Roxas was looking ready to bite someone. Sora was taking it better, largely because he was getting along and making jokes with the tailors. Axel himself just endured it. It wasn't even that unusual for him, he'd been through the exercise dozens of times as he outgrew clothing with Riku. It was a trial when your measurements changed almost daily.

Finally, though, the tailors released them into the clutches of his tutors. And then the real fun began.

"Jambawa? What the fuck?" Axel squinted at the map on the wall. It had been altered since his childhood. "Sounds like a type of juice."

"That is in fact one of their main products." The tutor, a dry, pedantic man who went by the name of Errol said with a dry little smile. Axel sighed to himself. This was going to be a fun lesson. Roxas really was going to bite someone.

Actually, he just fell asleep under the table. The tutor pretended not to notice since he still had Axel and Sora, although Sora was looking a little glazed and Axel was-

"My prince, if you would refrain from decorating the table long enough to learn the changes in the world since your regrettable departure I would very much appreciate it." Axel stopped his self-appointed task, which had been burning his name onto the table with a delicate little spike of fire. It required fine concentration.

"If I must." The table was infinitely more interesting though. Finally, after the tutor was satisfied that enough knowledge had been drilled into him for one day, they were released for lunch.

"Axel, if the whole day is going to be like this I'm going to die. Seriously. I can feel my muscles atrophying." Roxas complained as Axel grinned. They were in the dining hall having an informal family style lunch.

"Oh, you're going to like what's happening after supper. There's-ah." Axel blinked as Larxene and her pink haired beau walked up to the table. "Hi Larxene. Marluxia, right?" He smiled and nodded, extending a hand. Axel smiled back and shook it. Marluxia was an extremely handsome man and definitely Larxene's type, but his demon-kin status was plain. He had dark brown, curling horns that made him almost think of wood. Axel vaguely wondered what kind of demon his mother had been. Probably some kind of wood creature bound by a wizard as a present to his father. The varieties of weird demons out there were almost endless.

"That's me. I'm glad to meet you, Axel. I've heard a great deal about you." He had a smooth, polished voice that was a pleasure to listen to and Axel couldn't help but like him a bit.

"It's all lies." Axel said immediately and Marluxia laughed. They took a seat, and the servants quickly served them. Lunch was fairly light, a seafood stew in a savory broth. Roxas had already inhaled a bowl full and was on his second. "Where do you put it all, Roxas?"

"Have to feed my tapeworm something." Roxas replied, making Marluxia blink and Larxene laugh. "I've given him a name and everything."

"The worst part is, I'm not sure you're joking." Axel wouldn't have been surprised to find out they all had a few parasites. That was a hazard of eating street food in Amateru. "What's his name?"

"Riku." Sora growled at Roxas, who just snorted at him as Axel winced. "Hey, he deserves a tribute. So what are we doing now that you think we'll like?"

"Weapons drill, of course." Roxas and Sora immediately perked up and Axel grinned. "Any good prince is supposed to be able to meet a duel if it becomes necessary."

"Are they supposed to kick the other guy in the fork and run like hell? Because you do that a lot." Roxas asked as Sora giggled. Axel snorted as Marluxia and Larxene listened, fascinated.

"Oh, come on. I haven't done that for years, since Riku was using me as bait. Sora gets to be the bait now." That had been one of Riku's common tactics… get one of them to act helpless and see who decided to bite. It was a bit dangerous for the bait, but not too much. Axel, Roxas and Sora were all good at running. "I admit, I think there's a code duello or something that I don't know shit about. I plan to just stab people in the groin a lot. And the back, whenever I get a chance."

"You're going to go over well." Larxene chuckled, eyes bright as she smiled. "Mind if I come to watch? I think this is going to be entertaining." She didn't have Maemi with her, so Axel shrugged good naturedly.

"Why not? Even if I'm not that interesting, I know Roxas will be. He still loves to tear out throats." Roxas stuck his tongue out at him, finishing the second bowl and starting on a third. "Gosh, Riku's hungry isn't he?"

"We're growing together." Ignoring Sora's small 'eww' sound, Roxas inhaled his final bowl of stew. He was finished it at almost the exact same time everyone else was finished their first. "Well, are we going or what?"

"We're going, we're going." Axel stood with a laugh, smiling at Roxas' restless eagerness to do something he understood and enjoyed. He could understand the feeling though. He was feeling rather eager himself. It was a touch surprising, in some ways. Before he'd gone to Amateru and met Riku, he'd always dreaded his weapons lessons. Largely because the trainers went very hard on him and he was too small, not strong enough and more than a little clumsy. Riku had proved to be a much better teacher for him. Axel wasn't really sure why that was. Shouldn't princes have had the best teachers possible? But then, Riku's skills had been honed by actual combat. And maybe Axel himself had been different. After all, he'd known that the people and creatures in Amateru wouldn't hesitate to kill him and maybe eat him. It was a powerful motivator.

The practice salle, when they got to it, was huge. Axel had remembered it as being vast, but had expected it to shrink a little now that he was bigger. And it had but it was still impressive. All kinds of royal guards and wizards were there practicing and-

"Axel!" A familiar voice made him blink and stare as a red haired man separated himself from the crowd. "You asshole! I have a bone to pick with you."

"Reno!" Axel laughed as he was enveloped in a rough hug, then punched in the shoulder. Reno was pretty much exactly the way he remembered, a strapping young man with red hair just like his own and hazel eyes. "Damn, I thought you'd have gone on to something better by now!"

"I have. I'm in charge of this rat trap. But it might have happened years ago if someone hadn't, you know, completely screwed me over!" Axel blinked, completely lost, and Reno punched him again. "You dumbass! You know who was in charge of your security detail when you pulled your little stunt?"

"Ohhhhh." Axel hadn't considered the implications of his actions on his security staff. But then, he'd been eleven going on twelve and extremely upset. "Sorry Reno, I didn't even think of that." Reno laughed, letting him go.

"I know, you thoughtless cretin. It's okay, I recovered and I'm the weapon master now. But you owe me one." Reno looked him over appraisingly for a moment, then grinned. "You're looking good. But can you fight?" Axel snorted.

"Can I fight? I've been living in Amateru. I can probably kick your ass." Axel regretted the taunt a bit as Reno's grin turned nasty.

"Oh yeah? Let's see about that." Reno got out two practice short swords and Axel summoned his chakram in a burst of fire. That made the audience murmur a bit, and Reno glanced around, noticing that a lot of his guards had stopped their own practices to watch.

"What are you lot staring at? Get back to work or I'll find work for you!" They quickly went back to their own practices and Reno shook his head. He knew they'd still be watching a bit, but there was nothing he could do about that. He turned his attention to Axel's weapons, frowning. "Can you blunt those?" They looked wickedly sharp. Axel nodded.

"Oh sure." He'd figured out how to do that years ago. He'd manifested his fire powers at puberty and Riku had taught him to use them safely. A quick alteration later and his weapons were ready to inflict nothing worse than bruises. Reno immediately went after him in a quick, rushing charge. Axel soon found him hard pressed by Reno's relentless attacks. He'd never fought the other as a child, Reno hadn't been a trainer then, so his style was completely unfamiliar.

It was vaguely similar to Roxas, though. The small demon-kin attacked with the same type of energy and used a sword as well. Axel soon adapted and began taking the offensive, grinning as chakram clashed with short swords in a deadly dance. He'd learned to love fighting. It was almost a drug at times, the exhilaration and the adrenalin pumping through him as he lived on the edge of death.

"Pretty good." Reno said as they separated, circling each other as each looked for an opening. "But have you ever seen this?" Reno suddenly attacked in a flurry of blows, and Axel knew he had to have something up his sleeve- Abruptly, he recognized it. It was a trick of Riku's, one of his favorite tricks in fact, but if you timed everything just right there was a huge weakness. Riku had learned to expect the failure but Reno wasn't ready and Axel let himself fall to the ground at just the right moment. The two blades passed harmlessly overhead as he lashed out with both feet and hit Reno neatly in the groin. "FUCK!" Reno went down, dropping both his weapons and groaning in pain as Axel panted, grinning.

"Yeah, I've seen that a lot. My teacher loved that move." Riku had been all for whatever worked, so he'd encouraged Axel to find dirty ways to end a fight quickly. "But he knew about my counter."

"Shit!" Reno wheezed, blinking back tears as he tried to get the feeling back in his balls. "You fight like a soldier, not a duelist. Want to join up?" Axel laughed, bouncing to his feet and offering Reno a hand up, which he accepted.

"Thanks and I wish I could, but I can't." He wistfully wished that he could. A place in the royal guard would have been nice. Axel had sometimes dreamed about joining the Black Jewels, if he could ever convince Riku to do it. The elite fighting force of Amateru were nasty customers, but so was the half-angel, when you got down to it. And it paid well.

"What about us? You take demon-kin?" Roxas butted in, and Reno blinked at him before grinning.

"We take anyone who can fight. You can fight, shorty?" Roxas sneered and gestured. Two swords of darkness appeared in his hands. Each was fashioned out of black metal with vicious, spiky spines jutting from them. Reno looked at them a bit dubiously. "Yeah, you better be able to blunt those." Roxas sighed and did so, although Axel knew they would still hurt like hell if he landed a hit. It still amazed him that Riku had managed to train Roxas. Those demon weapons would burn the angel-kin's skin if Roxas hit him. But then, Riku's sword had burnt Roxas too.

Before the day was over, Reno had tested out Roxas and Sora both. Roxas was immediately put in the same class as Axel and set to sparring with the most advanced members of the royal guard. And it was hard to say who was teaching whom. Sora, on the other hand, was set with more intermediate partners. Axel glanced over at him as he sparred… Sora's weapon was a bit odd for a demon-kin. It was still black, but it glittered like a polished gem and was in the shape of a key. A very beautiful, ornamental key. Axel had never seen a weapon like it until Sora manifested it, but Riku thought it was a sign of something. What, he didn't know, but he thought it was a sign.

Feeling a pang, Axel wondered where the angel-kin was and what he was doing. He hoped Riku was okay. Losing them all at once couldn't be good for him.

He would have been shocked to know that Riku was wondering about them at that very moment… and that he was only a few days travel away. But he couldn't know, and life went on.

* * *

Riku stood on the deck of the small trader heading to Lusteria, and was noisily sick over the edge.

He was pale and sweating and wishing desperately to never, ever see a ship again. He hadn't known starting his trip that he was prone to seasickness. He'd never been on a ship before in his life and if Riku had thought of it, he would have dismissed the likelihood. Angels didn't get seasick, after all. But then, he wasn't an angel. He was a man. And a man with a weak stomach, apparently.

"Oh god. How much longer?" He muttered to himself, expecting no reply and receiving none. God had better things to do than listen to his whining. When he reached Lusteria, Riku knew he was going to have to take at least one day just eating, sleeping and getting himself in order. He begrudged the time, but right now he was weak as a kitten and hadn't eaten properly in weeks. He just couldn't keep anything down. But soon, he would be in Lusteria, and he would get his friends back. Riku smiled thinly at the thought.

God help anyone who got in his way.


	7. The Emperor is Dead?

"That is just so cute."

"Isn't it?" Axel smiled as he watched Sora and Roxas play in one of the ornamental lakes. None of them were being allowed out of the palace grounds yet, but in a way that was fine. The palace gardens were huge. Axel didn't feel like swimming though. He knew how to swim well enough to not drown, but didn't really enjoy it. Probably his fire magic acting up.

Reno and Demyx were sitting with him. Reno was theoretically just being friendly, but Axel had an idea that he was being watched to make sure he didn't try to climb over the wall or something. Still, he didn't mind. And Demyx was strumming his guitar dreamily as he glanced between the two of them.

"You know, you two look a lot alike." Demyx suddenly said and Axel blinked, glancing at Reno. The other red head looked equally surprised. "Didn't your mother work at the palace before she had you Reno?" Reno's eyes narrowed as he stared at the sitarist.

"Are you insinuating that my mother slept with the Emperor, Demyx? While she was married to my dad?" Reno said slowly and evenly and Demyx looked vaguely panicked.

"No, no! Uh… your father had red hair too didn't he, and he was a guard at the palace, I know that. Maybe Axel's mom-"

"Oh, nice Demyx!" Axel said with insane cheerfulness as Demyx looked even more alarmed. "Question my paternity, go on and do it. I'd love to give you back the heir spot. Reno, brother!" Reno rolled his eyes as Axel hugged him and Demyx shook his head desperately.

"No, no! Forget I said anything, please!" Demyx begged as Axel laughed. "The remarkable way you resemble each other is clearly a coincidence!"

"Hm." Axel let go of Reno but couldn't help but give him a speculative look. They really were remarkably similar. Sure, the Emperor had red hair too but it had been a lighter shade, not the fiery red that Reno and Axel shared. Could his mother have…? That might actually explain a lot about his father's attitude towards him if he'd suspected. Axel thought about it for a moment before deciding that while it was fascinating, it didn't really matter. Even if there was any way to prove it the evidence would probably just get shoved under a rug at this date. "Demyx. In the interests of keeping Reno from beheading you, have you got any idea why Princess Kairi is still hanging around?" That was definitely worrying him. She had been here for a marriage alliance, clearly, and the only heir left was him. Well, unless you counted Demyx but Axel was pretty sure he was as gay as Roxas.

"Oh, yes." Demyx was clearly quite glad to get off the conversational quicksand and onto something neutral. "She's quite desperate to secure an alliance. I imagine she would marry your father, if the court would allow it." Axel stared at him, shocked.

"What! No one is that desperate to get a marriage alliance!" Axel sputtered and Demyx smiled. Reno shook his head.

"He doesn't mean a marriage alliance, Axel. He's talking about a military one." Axel stared at Reno as he explained. "Her country got hit incredibly hard by the Koto nomads this spring. If they don't get reinforcements, and soon, it's questionable if there will be a country there come next spring."

"Oh." That explained a whole lot, and Axel bit his lip for a moment, thinking. "So this is a bring back an army or don't come back mission for her." That wasn't good. There was no getting rid of Kairi and worse yet, she seemed like a very nice girl. The kind of girl he wouldn't have minded marrying if his heart wasn't somewhere else. "Don't they have any trade concessions or something we could get out of them instead?"

"What, don't you like her? She's very pretty." Reno said with a cheerfulness that struck Axel as slightly forced. "Not to mention intelligent and has a good sense of humor. Pretty much everything you could want from a princess."

"Except the fact that Roxas would bite my dick off if I even thought about it." Axel said, but his cheerfulness was also forced. If he couldn't get out of being the Emperor somehow, he would have to get married to a woman and have children. And Roxas was going to hate that. Actually, he was going to loathe it. They hadn't really discussed it yet, but Axel was depressingly aware that if he had to marry a princess he could do a lot worse than Kairi. Most princesses either weren't pretty or had the personality of something you typically found under a rock. But he didn't want to be with anyone but Roxas. It wouldn't be fair to him or to the woman involved, he was just too deeply in love with the little blond. What could he do about it?

"Uh oh." Demyx quickly ducked to the side as Roxas ran up… and shook his wings, splattering them with water. Reno swore as Axel yelped, surprised.

"Roxas!" Axel lunged up, trying to catch the little demon-kin but he was extremely slippery from his swim. Eeling away, he took off running, laughing. Reno and Demyx watched them go, amused and in Demyx's case, a little sad.

"I wish I had someone I loved like that. Poor Axel." Demyx shook his head and stroked his sitar for a moment, playing a mournful melody. Reno nodded.

They both knew that where dynasties and empires came into play, love didn't matter.

* * *

Axel frowned at his plate, idly poking at an inoffensive piece of beef. The meals in the palace were lovely but they were too rich for him, after all his time living on mushrooms. He felt like it was all too much, a surfeit of goodness.

"I'll know I'm really losing it when I start craving a plate of underdarken mushrooms." Axel muttered to himself, then frowned. "I wonder if the cooks could make me some mushrooms?" They probably could in fact, although they wouldn't be underdarken. Which was just fine. The mineral taste was probably due to all their nourishing vitamins, but it made underdarken mushrooms more than a little gross at times.

"What in hell do you want mushrooms for? Goodbye mushrooms." Roxas didn't seem to have any problems, eating his beef and grabbing some of the oysters. "Mmm fresh oysters." Axel smiled faintly as Roxas slurped them down. Amateru had been on the sea, so seafood had been a staple of their diet when they had the money for it. But usually it had been the cheaper cuts of fish, not things like oysters. Axel abandoned the beef and took one of them, swallowing it whole. It was firm and tasted like the sea, exactly what an oyster should be. "I love the food here."

"It helps that you can't get fat." Axel said dryly as Roxas grinned. Demon-kin just didn't get fat, ever. Just like they didn't really age, appearance wise, although they did eventually get old. If anything they tended to be a bit more short-lived than humans. That thought bothered Axel a bit, but there was no point in worrying about it. He'd enjoy whatever time he had with Roxas. It was the more inhuman demon-kin who tended to be shorter lived, anyway.

Axel frowned slightly as he glanced around the room. Something was a bit off. It was amazing, really, how much he was finding he could remember about the court life without trying. And things like this had a rhythm, a feeling. Sometimes it was disrupted a little by the things going on in the lower tables, but that was a temporary thing. Tonight it felt like something was going to happen. Glancing over at Kairi he could see that she was smiling at him a touch nervously. What was going on?

"Everyone!" His father stood then, lurching slightly. Axel winced faintly as he realized that was due to the broken hip. It hadn't healed quite right despite the best magic and medicine in the world. "I have a blessed announcement. A toast to the engagement of my son, Prince Axel and Princess Kairi of Allesha!" Axel stared at him, stunned, and felt Roxas tensing beside him. He looked at Kairi, who smiled at him bravely, then back at his father… and felt a surge of raw, red rage. It caught him by surprise and hazed his gaze with red for a moment before he stood.

"Perhaps you should have discussed this with me before you agreed to it, father." His voice was cold, crisp and carried easily throughout the room as his father stared, face purpling. Axel knew why. Discuss an arranged marriage with the people involved? How absurd. More rage flowed through him. This was exactly why he had fled the palace. Because he wasn't just a thing, just a counter to be moved around a board. He was Axel, and he would damn well do what he pleased. "If you had, I would have told you that you can't marry off someone who's married already."

"What?" The Emperor was clearly taken completely off guard by that, and several of the Lord Advisors further down the table were exchanging horrified looks. This was completely public and would be all over the city tomorrow. Kairi had put a hand over her mouth, shocked. "That's not possible! All you've got is a couple of-" He stopped, staring at Roxas, and Axel smiled thinly as he rested a hand on the demon-kin's shoulder. He didn't give a damn about what his father thought anymore and he could feel Roxas' agreement. Roxas wasn't going to share. Certainly not like this.

"Meet my marriage partner, father. And not even you can dissolve a marriage when it already has issue." Axel's tone turned taunting for a moment. "By adoption, in this case." He glanced further down the table at Sora, who was watching the scene, petrified. "Sorry to break it to you this way, Sora, but meet your grandpa. He's not much but he's all you've got so you'll have to make the best of him."

Axel wasn't sure what he expected his father to do, but he wasn't really expecting what he got. With an incoherent roar, his father lunged off his throne and directly at him, hands outstretched and face a frightening shade. What he'd planned to do would remain a mystery… Axel leapt back but it proved to be unnecessary as his father abruptly collapsed to the floor with a crash. Axel stared, shocked, as several of the Emperor's wizards made a beeline for the fallen monarch. It didn't take long to establish that the Emperor was quite deceased. Axel gripped Roxas' shoulders tightly and blinked, swallowing hard. This wasn't what was supposed to happen. If the Emperor was dead then… he was the Emperor now?

"Prince? Shall we take the body for presentation?" One of the wizards said respectfully and Axel blinked, coming back to himself.

"Yes. Yes, do whatever is customary." That was a good, blanket statement. And Axel himself had no idea of what was done when an Emperor died or how the heir was crowned. It wouldn't be instantaneous, he knew. There was always a mourning period except during times of war. Glancing over the dining hall, which was very silent, he remembered what to say when someone died. His aunt's death had interrupted a feast like this one. "Please, everyone enjoy the meal. I will be retiring to my quarters with- with Reno and Demyx, if you could please join me?" Reno was one of the guards kneeling around the body, and he glanced up and nodded, unsurprised.

"Of course, my prince." Axel shook his head, feeling bemused and numb. He didn't mourn, of course, but it was all so sudden.

"Us too?" Roxas said, still rather tense as he glared at Kairi. She was looking away now, face pale, and Axel could guess why. She had no doubt known what was happening. He didn't really blame her though. It wouldn't have been her place to tell him even if she'd known his father hadn't. And having the engagement spurned this way was a humiliating blow for her.

"Of course." Axel didn't want Roxas and Sora out of his sight right now. Soon they were all back in his quarters, and the servants were giving them all some pretty stiff drinks.

"Well, that was unexpected." Demyx downed a shot of scotch in one quick swallow, then set the glass on the table with a grimace. "I must say, Axel, you do have a way of livening the place up."

"It's worse than that." Reno said with a frown as he stared into his glass. "Did either of you notice his fingernails?" Axel stared at Reno, a bit taken aback as Roxas frowned.

"Who would notice fingernails at a time like that?" He'd definitely had other things on his mind. Reno flashed him a quick smile, then sobered.

"They were a weird purple color, like his face. I can't be sure of course, but I think I recognized it. My old aunt had the same problem for a while. It can be caused by herrisseed extract." Axel blinked, frowning, and Roxas spoke up.

"Is that a poison? Because I don't recognize it, and I know a lot about poisons." Axel nodded. Roxas often poisoned his nails when they were going to be doing something particularly dangerous so he was well acquainted with the various toxins out there. Reno shook his head.

"Not at all. The Emperor has all kinds of protections from that. Herrisseed is actually a medicine. But it's not meant to be used long term. When it is, it has some rather odd effects. It makes the subject suggestible, confused, quick to anger and can lead to tired spells." Axel frowned. That did sound like how his father had been behaving. "It also degrades the body a bit over time. If the Emperor was taking herrisseed, it probably made his health worse. It's supposed to be used for reducing swelling after an injury."

"Huh. That kind of makes sense." Axel mused. That would have been valuable right after the accident. "But why would he keep taking it after his hip healed? Was someone trying to make him suggestible?" For someone trying to influence his father, that would be valuable. "Is it just me, or is this all very suspicious?"

"What are you thinking, Axel?" Demyx asked, tilting his head to one side. Axel scratched his head thoughtfully.

"I'm not sure. It just seems odd that there's an accident that almost kills my whole family, and then dad is taking this herrisseed stuff. I mean, they both could just be incompetence but what if they aren't?" Axel shrugged. "Not that I have any proof or anything." He didn't even have a good theory on who would have done it. No one seemed to benefit at all that he could see. Reno's eyes narrowed as he thought.

"No one here benefits, but they might not need to." Axel blinked at him and Reno smiled sourly. "There are outside interests, Axel."

"Oh." Axel grimaced. That other countries might be interested in eliminating his brothers and turning his father into a puppet hadn't really occurred to him. "I suppose Kairi or someone in her train could be responsible for the herrisseed, but definitely not the accident." That had killed off Logan, and she'd been engaged to him. As personally repulsive as he might have been he'd been ideal from the perspective of saving her country.

"Yes. Or the Shonto could be involved. That would point to Marluxia." Reno considered it, then shook his head. "But Larxene was in the carriage. She could easily have been killed. It was blind luck that she wasn't. I just can't see it, he seems to adore her."

"You can't really trust demon-kin that way. They're pretty tricky." Axel said without thinking, then winced as he felt Roxas tense beside him. He quickly gripped the blond demon-kin's hand. "Sorry Roxas. I didn't mean you."

"I know." Roxas said gruffly, cuddling up to his side. "It's alright. It's nothing but the truth." And he knew it was. Demon-kin were people and could fall in love, but there were a lot more absolute psychos among the demon-kin. And some of them could fake it very convincingly. Axel smiled and gently touched his cheek before pressing their lips together in a gentle, loving kiss.

"I know you love me." Roxas' love was part of the bedrock of his life. If it ever shifted, his life would be over. Demyx coughed softly and the two separated, blushing.

"That aside, I must agree with Reno that Marluxia seems to adore your sister. And a babe should mean something even to a demon-kin, so I doubt it's him. But there could be someone else." Demyx said. Axel sighed, suddenly feeling overwhelmed and tired. He'd never needed to investigate stuff with Riku. Look, a demon raping a woman! Look, a pimp slapping a boy! It had all been very simple in Amateru, knowing who needed killing.

"Reno, do you know anyone trustworthy who could look into this for me? I don't know anything about investigation and I bet the Lord Advisors are going to be onto me like flies on stink now." Axel reflected glumly that his life was probably going to be getting more irritating as they tried desperately to get him ready to be Emperor. Reno considered it for a moment then smiled at Demyx.

"I know the perfect guy. Vexen is great at stuff like that and he's got a torch for your idiot cousin here." Demyx colored but didn't protest. He knew it was true. Reno sighed then stood. "You guys get some sleep. You're going to have a long day ahead of you tomorrow." Axel nodded as his cousin and friend showed themselves out.

He was sure Reno was right.


	8. Angels and Wine

Riku frowned into his bowl of soup as he thought.

He was in a grimy, run down tavern in the bad part of town. Not on the island, of course. That was the high rent districts. No, he was in one of the suburbs of Lusteria, trying to keep a low profile and make his money last. He might still have plenty left, but there was no reason to squander it. They would need it when they finally got back to Amateru.

But things were turning out to be much harder than he'd expected. No one seemed to know anything about Axel. The only Axel they could remember was the prince, soon to be Emperor, and that couldn't be his Axel. That was ridiculous. Wasn't it?

Riku was starting to get a very bad feeling that it wasn't. He hadn't paid much attention at first, but he couldn't help but overhear the stories. That the lost prince had been brought home from some far away place just a short time ago. That alone wouldn't have been enough to worry him, but just today he'd heard a new story. That the prince had spurned an engagement to a princess because he was already married to a demon-kin and had an adopted son. Riku was aware of the fact that when Axel and Roxas had gotten married, they'd laughingly added Sora to the application as their 'son'. Could Axel really be the prince?

_He never told me. Could Axel have kept a secret like that from me?_ That was the hardest part for him to believe. Could the brutalized little boy he'd bought from a pirate have been hiding a secret like this all those years? Riku shook his head. It seemed ludicrous, yet it would make sense. Why else would soldiers from Lusteria come to Amateru to kidnap Axel?

Picking up his bowl of soup and sipping it, ignoring the disgusted look a woman gave him, Riku thought some more. What was he to do about it? Rescuing Axel was going to be very difficult if he was in the palace, yet it wasn't the greatest problem. How were they supposed to remain free if he managed it? It was impossible. You couldn't just run from something like this, he knew that much. What should he do? What could he do?

Finishing his soup with a sigh, Riku stood and walked up the stairs to his room, ignoring the looks he got. He was wearing his blindfold, and along with his wings he was clearly something different than these people usually saw. Riku didn't care as long as they left him alone. He carefully barred his door when he entered his room. It never hurt to be careful, and he didn't want to be disturbed when he prayed for guidance.

Taking off his blindfold, he sat on his bed and ran the fabric through his fingers. It felt silky and cool and he felt like he could catch the faintest trace of divinity in it. The scent of his father.

"Oh papa. What should I do?" He whispered, staring at the blindfold. It wasn't how he usually phrased his prayers, but he wondered sometimes if he was trying too hard. Maybe that was why he'd never gotten an answer before. Did God and his angels really need pretty words? Right now he desperately needed a simple answer to a simple question.

_Riku._ Riku started, looking up from the blindfold and swallowing at the misty shape in front of him. He could feel the divinity in it… and it felt like the touch on his blindfold.

"Pa-Papa?" He stuttered, and the ghostly image swirled. It looked a ball of pure light, misty and swirling. Not a full physical manifestation of an angel, but the kind of thing that oracles were said to speak to.

_Yes. This is the only time I will be able to see you, my son._ Riku swallowed hard, hearing the sadness in the angel's voice… and a matching pain in his heart. He'd always wanted to know his father although he'd known it could never be. Not until he was dead, at least. Perhaps then they would finally be together. _The answer to your question will determine the course of the rest of your life, for good or for ill. Tomorrow, you must go to a place. _The cloud reached out and swirled around his head for a moment, and Riku blinked as a map was imprinted in his mind. He knew precisely where to go and how to get there. _When you get there, you will have to make a choice. You will understand the choice when you see it. That will determine the course of your life. And no, I can't tell you which the better decision is. _Riku flushed lightly as his father anticipated his question. _But I have faith in you, Riku._

"Father…" There were so many things for him to say. So much he wanted to tell the angel, so much he wanted to hear. But there was no time. Riku could feel his presence fading already, so he settled on the most important thing. "Father, I love you." He choked out, tears burning in his eyes. The light seemed to wobble for a moment.

_I love you too Riku._ Then the light vanished, and Riku sniffed, wiping his eyes with one hand and holding his blindfold with the other.

"I'll make you proud of me, papa." He whispered to the air.

No matter what, he would do the right thing.

* * *

"Damn Demyx to the netherhells." Vexen muttered to himself as he carefully tested every medication the Emperor had been taking.

If anyone else had asked him to do this, he would have told them to bark for it. He was violating the usual procedure six ways to Sunday. Reno had told no one of his herrisseed extract suspicions and the Emperor's death had been put down to natural causes. Not surprising, really, since herisseed wasn't a poison. The Emperor could have survived another five years taking it. Vexen made a mental note to have the detection routines tuned up a bit to pick up things like this. Anything that could make an Emperor suggestible should certainly be scanned for.

But he should have been reporting this to his superiors, not doing his own freelance tests. If they found out about what he was up to, Vexen was certain his head would be ripped off and handed to him on a silver platter. Archmages did not appreciate being kept in the dark about matters of public security.

Vexen suddenly stopped as the results of his latest test registered on his mind. Positive. What had he been testing? Suddenly frantic, he searched through his desk for a moment, grateful he labeled everything carefully. What was sample F12?

"Hmm?" Vexen frowned at the ornamental bottle he was holding. It looked to be an after dinner cordial of some sort. Unstoppering it and sniffing, he blinked at the heady, pleasant smell. If it tasted half as good as it smelled, it was no wonder the Emperor had been drinking it. Vexen wasn't about to test that, however. Examining the bottle, he frowned again at the flowing script on it. He couldn't make out a word, and he was educated in several languages. Tapping the bottle thoughtfully, he considered what to do.

He could give it to Reno and his friends. That would be the easiest thing to do. It would probably be the most logical thing to do, too. Vexen chewed on his lip for a moment. He wasn't feeling particularly logical, however. No, he had a different thought on his mind. If he could find out where this bottle was from and who had likely supplied it, he could impress Demyx. And that was not a minor consideration for him. Vexen knew the handsome little princeling probably wasn't at all interested, but… he was. Very much so.

Putting the bottle into a bag, he decided to leave the palace for a while. There was a very cosmopolitan liquor store he sometimes visited that might be able to shed a bit of light upon his discovery.

Walking briskly through the streets, Vexen appeared to be completely wrapped up in his own thoughts. In fact, he was analyzing everything around him… and quickly became aware that he was being followed. He was rather proud of himself for catching it. Reno couldn't have done better. Smiling darkly, he walked into the liquor store as if he owned the place. One of the sales clerks immediately spotted him and ambled over, smiling broadly.

"What can we do for you, sir?" Vexen reached into his bag and held up the bottle.

"I was wondering if you might carry this? A friend found it and I've been wondering precisely what it is." The salesman took the bottle, frowning slightly as he looked at the script, then suddenly smiled.

"Indeed we do! This is plumberry wine from the Rostera steeps. Very expensive, alas, sir, since it has to be shipped all the way from Shonto." The sales clerk said, clearly pleased with Vexen's interest. He didn't realize that his audience's interest had just sharpened considerably.

"Shonto? Really? The writing isn't in their script." Vexen murmured, and the sales clerk nodded.

"Yes, it's actually made by the desert nomads. They use their own script, but it only reaches us from Shonto. It's much cheaper there. Would you be interested in purchasing a bottle or two, sir?"

"Two, I think." Vexen decided, then smiled. It was a slightly alarming smile. "And there's an extra five hundred in this for you if you let me use your back room, and forget you saw anything… unusual." The man blinked, confused, but quickly made up his mind. Five hundred munny was his wage for two weeks.

"I would be glad to, sir." Still confused, he fetched two bottles of the wine. Vexen took one of them and tucked it in a pocket, along with the original tainted one, and put the other in his bag. The man took him into the back room, which had a back door as well, to Vexen's relief. He didn't depart. Understandable, since the back room was full of various bottles to be put out for sale.

"You did not see this." Vexen told him shortly, and began casting a spell. It was a very complicated spell and took a bit of time to get exactly right, and he had to cut himself during part of it, allowing his blood to drip onto the floor. But when he was finished there was an exact doppelganger of himself in front of him. He offered his false self the bag, and it took it with an unnervingly familiar smile. It was the smile Vexen saw every morning in the mirror. The salesman was gaping at them, astonished. "You know what to do."

"Quite." The second Vexen responded, striding out of the back room to leave the store via the front door. Vexen leaned against the wall, giving it a bit of a head start. The watchers would no doubt follow it. Eventually it would enter an alleyway and vanish, unless it was destroyed first. Vexen rather hoped they killed it. It would react like flesh and only vanish when the power behind it ran out, so his death would be faked most convincingly. Unless they had a very intelligent mage along, but that was the risks you ran in this world. When he judged enough time had passed, Vexen passed the sales clerk the five hundred munny and departed out the back door.

He'd found an important piece of the puzzle and he could turn it over to Demyx now. The thought of impressing the blond pleased the chilly wizard to no end.

* * *

"Shonto?" Reno sipped the new drink Vexen had brought back, and made a small surprised sound at the taste. "Damn, but this is good! I can see why the Emperor was drinking it. But who gave it to him?"

"That is, of course, the burning question." Vexen observed and winced as Roxas downed his glass like a shot of whisky. "By the way, you can't have anymore of this." Vexen moved the bottle away from the demon-kin, and Axel laughed as Roxas pouted. "It's far too expensive to be mistreated that way."

"How much did it cost?" Demyx asked, interested, as he tried his own glass. Vexen named a figure that made him wince. "Not even I could afford that regularly." The two bottles Vexen had bought had cost almost two thousand munny. Axel nodded.

"Riku spent less than that buying me." It was a sobering thought, that a young slave had cost less than two bottles of wine. Axel tried it and blinked. "Although this is really good wine." It was amazingly smooth, with a light, floral finish. He'd never had anything like it before.

"I'm hoping the treasury will reimburse me for my expenses." Vexen hinted, and Axel frowned.

"Who would I get to handle that?" He was very fuzzy on the details of stuff like that. Reno laughed.

"Take it to the Lord Chamberlain and tell him Vexen needs a payout and he should put it under Stuff. You'd be amazed what gets filed under the heading of Stuff." Reno glanced at Vexen. "I wish you could have figured out who those people were who were following you. I bet they would have known who's behind this."

"That's how fools get killed. And I am not a fool, nor do I wish to die." Vexen said with dignity as Demyx grinned. "I leave the rest of this to you. Call me if you need more magical expertise." Vexen stood, then suddenly paused. "Demyx, would you care to join me for dinner tomorrow? There's a restaurant that just opened on Riverside Avenue." Vexen asked with a smile, and Demyx hesitated a moment.

"Sure. I'd be happy to." Demyx finally said with a smile. He wasn't really that interested in Vexen, but, well, things had to start somewhere didn't they? And Vexen was certainly attractive. Vexen looked very pleased at the response, and nodded. "Seven o'clock? I can meet you at your rooms." That would be easiest, since Vexen had quarters that were fairly close to the exit from the main palace. Vexen nodded again.

"That would be wonderful. Thank you." Vexen left the room and Roxas grinned, leaning over to whisper in Demyx's ear.

"That man has seriously got the hots for you. If it were me I'd-" Demyx blushed brightly at the rest of Roxas' advice, and Sora squeaked as Axel laughed. Reno just shook his head, finishing his glass of wine.

"Perverts. I'm going to start my investigation of this." Reno stood, picking up the tainted bottle of wine. "Later, and try not to break the bed." Roxas hissed at him but Reno was oblivious, leaving the room. Demyx stood hastily.

"I should get to bed as well. Farewell!" He left the room quickly, and Axel grinned.

"Way to clear the place out, Roxas. Or was that the plan?" Roxas grinned and yanked him down for a passionate kiss.

"You got it. Sora, why the hell are you still here?" Roxas growled and Sora squeaked again before heading out like his feet were on fire. "Perfect. Now, do something nasty to me, fire hair."

"You want nasty, demon? I'll show you nasty." Axel lifted Roxas easily, carrying him to the bed.

It was going to be a long and very pleasant night.


	9. Choices Made

Axel rubbed his forehead, feeling hot and irritated as he hid in the herb room.

It was cool and dark in the herb room, and it made a perfect place to hide for a few moments when everything became too much. He'd discovered that as a child and it held true now as well. It also smelled nice, from all the herbs that were being stored there. The only downside was that sometimes the herbalists were stirring up creams and whatnot, but he was lucky at the moment.

He knew it was very immature to be hiding from the Lord Advisors this way, but Axel had just had enough. He didn't want to be Emperor. It was the last thing in the universe he wanted, but what could he do?

"There has to be some way out of this." He muttered to himself, then blinked as he heard someone else enter the herb room. Starting to turn, he was completely surprised when someone put a hand over his face. "Mrph!?" Axel breathed in deeply before he thought, just managing to register the wet cloth over his face before the room spun dizzyingly.

He was unconscious before he hit the floor.

* * *

Roxas was bored.

He'd been practicing with the guards for most of the morning, but there was only so much of that you could do before you started getting really tired. Roxas was pleasantly tired but not exhausted, and that was how he liked it. It was the sign of a very good workout.

So now he had the afternoon to kill and he wasn't sure how to do it. Hanging around Axel was too much. Not because of Axel, of course, but because of all the Lord Advisors. They seemed to all be old men his father had appointed, and felt they could boss Axel around because he was young and ignorant. Which was fair, sort of, since Axel was spectacularly ignorant, but still. Pain in the ass was the politest thing Roxas had to say about them. Most of what he had to say couldn't be repeated around the ladies. Well, the ladies here anyway, most of the girls in Amateru couldn't give less of a damn.

Wandering around the palace aimlessly, Roxas admired several of the items on display. They were garish and suited his taste perfectly. He was in agreement with Axel that the one redeeming feature of the palace was its bright colors. It was hard not to be at least a bit cheered up when you looked up and saw the ceiling was filled with quasi-obscene frescoes of nymphs and satyrs. Gilded, of course. Although Roxas would really have preferred it to be just satyrs, but you had to make allowances for the heterosexual world.

Turning a corner, he blinked and ducked back out of sight as he observed a fascinating scene. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but Reno was talking to Princess Kairi and Roxas was very good with body language. He quickly caught the look on Kairi's face and the intense interest in Reno's. Roxas licked his fangs thoughtfully, considering it, and shook his head.

He actually felt a bit badly for Kairi now. She was clearly very interested in Reno and he was returning the interest, but that wouldn't do her country a bit of good. Unless… Roxas blinked as a truly interesting idea occurred to him. It was breathtaking in its simplicity and it could solve all their problems if they could convince Reno to play ball. Roxas grinned evilly. Kairi might be just the prize to get the redhead in. But first.

"Hey Reno!" Roxas walked out as if he'd seen nothing at all and Reno turned, a bit annoyed at being interrupted. "You seen Axel around?"

"Hm?" Reno frowned slightly. "No, actually, I haven't. I did see one of the Lord Advisors twittering about not being able to find him so he's probably hiding from them." That didn't worry Reno much. There was no way Axel was getting out of the palace grounds without alerting his guards. So Axel was probably just hiding somewhere out of the way in the palace.

"Could you help me find him?" Roxas really wanted to talk to Axel now. His idea was very interesting. Reno hesitated, then shrugged.

"Sure, why not." Kairi sighed and stepped back with a small smile.

"I'll see you later, Reno." She murmured and Reno smiled at her. That smile told Roxas everything he needed to know about the red haired man's feelings for the auburn haired princess. It was perfect.

"Later, Princess." Reno looked at Roxas. "Let's start with the herb room. I know he used to go there all the time."

Many hours later, they were still searching and beginning to get truly concerned. The rest of the guard was helping out now, but no one could find even the slightest hint of Axel. And then Vexen brought them another problem.

"I cannot find Demyx either." Vexen sounded a bit hesitant. "I would have thought he had simply rethought our engagement but… since you cannot find Axel, I wonder if that is the case." Reno blinked at that information and scowled. Roxas was growling and Sora was starting to look very worried.

"If those two are playing some kind of game I'm going to kill them. Vexen, can you try to do a magical search on Demyx?" They'd already tried on Axel and come up blank. Vexen nodded.

"I can try." He wasn't too certain about his chances of success, but when it came to Demyx he might have an edge. Axel hadn't been in the palace too long and the focuses had been fine if there was no opposition, but not so good if someone was trying to obfuscate them. Demyx, on the other hand, had many long term belongings that had absorbed his aura quite thoroughly.

There was nothing to do but try.

* * *

Axel awoke with a blinding headache to a feeling of cold stone behind him, cold air around him. For a moment he thought he was still in the herb room but when he tried to move he found that he couldn't. Groaning, he cracked open his eyes, blinking at the dim light.

"Axel!" The voice was familiar and Axel ran his tongue over his teeth, trying to generate a bit of saliva. His mouth was dry as a bone and his tongue felt big and clumsy.

"Demyx?" He rasped out, turning his head slightly and wincing at the pain. He blinked as he saw Demyx was tied down, his wrists and ankles tied to stakes that had been thrust into the stone. Glancing up at one of his wrists, he realized the same thing had been done to him. It wasn't painful but didn't look good. "What's… going on?"

"I don't know, he won't tell me." Demyx sounded close to tears.

"He?" Axel tried to look around, ignoring the jolts of pain that sent through his head, and blinked as he spotted someone carefully tracing runes in blood? "Marluxia?" Axel stared, completely taken aback. Despite the drink being from Shonto, he hadn't really expected this. And what was Larxene's husband doing?

"Yes. Hello again, prince." Marluxia stood, favoring him with a thin smile. Axel blinked, trying to collect his thoughts.

"What are you doing?" Marluxia just smiled at him contemptuously and glanced around his design. Axel swallowed as he realized it was done, and part of the blood in it had to be his. That explained why his left wrist hurt so much. "You're the one who gave the Emperor that bottle of wine. Did you arrange the accident too?" That was the part he couldn't believe. But Marluxia chose to answer.

"Of course." Axel swallowed at the matter of fact tone the demon-kin was using.

"Larxene was in that coach." And he knew his sister had almost lost Maemi. She could have died. Marluxia laughed.

"Well, you can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs." Axel stared, silenced by that callous statement. Feeling sick, he remembered what he'd said to Reno… that demon-kin weren't very trustworthy that way. Why couldn't he have been wrong?

"That's my sister, you complete and utter asshole." Axel grated out as rage flared. Poor Larxene had married for love and Marluxia had just been using her. And poor little Maemi was in the middle of it. Axel didn't think he'd ever wanted to kill someone as much as he did at this moment. "Don't talk about her that way." Marluxia just shrugged.

"You won't be caring much longer- hm?" Marluxia turned, surprised, and Axel turned his head to see what had caught the demon-kin's attention. For the first time he realized they were in a man-made, underground room. It had to be part of the royal catacombs. Emperors had been buried here for thousands of years, but the room they were in was thankfully large and empty.

Someone else had just entered it and was standing at the edge of a line of runes, looking at them thoughtfully. Axel almost swallowed his tongue as he recognized the silver hair, the blindfold, the black robes and the tiny cherub wings as he bent down to look at the runes more closely.

"Riku?!?" Axel stared, shocked a second time as Riku looked up and smiled at him.

"Don't worry Axel. I'll get you out of this." Axel felt like he must be hallucinating. It was definitely Riku, that was his voice but how in hell was he here? Marluxia shook his head.

"Hardly, angel-kin. You can't penetrate my wards." Riku frowned at the runes. He hated to admit it, but he knew Marluxia was right. He'd never seen a construct like this before but his innate abilities with magic let him sense what it was for.

There was a line of runes meant to stop purely physical beings. Behind that, there was a line meant to stop any magical attacks. Then there was a line oriented towards the demonic and finally, a line towards the angelic. The last was stopping him cold. But how was the pink haired man powering all this? Riku touched his blindfold and let his gaze dip into a different kind of sight. It was his own ability but the blindfold seemed to make it stronger. He could see the currents of magical energy drifting in the air and abruptly, he understood what Marluxia was doing.

Axel and Demyx were the only real heirs to the Empire, in the eyes of the people. It was a lesser known fact that when someone was a ruler, or heir to a ruler, a bit of all the energy of the people who believed in them was concentrated in them. It was like focusing light through a lens, and it meant that for blood magic Axel and Demyx were both very potent power sources. Riku was well acquainted with blood magic. In civilized places like Lusteria it was supposed to be outlawed but Amateru didn't pretend to care. Except for a single angel-kin.

Riku paced the line of the runes, looking for any weak spot, but couldn't find one. He was left staring at the centre ring, wondering what choice his father had been referring to. Right now he couldn't see any choice of any kind. Axel caught the bafflement on his face and frowned.

"Riku?" Axel sounded afraid as Marluxia began painting a different set of runes on the wall.

"Hang in there Axel." He tried to sound soothing, but Axel was clearly getting very worried. And for good reason. Riku was certain the only logical conclusion to whatever spell Marluxia was preparing to cast was the death of his two lenses. The release of power could fuel something impressive. Riku looked up as several other people suddenly piled into the room.

"Riku?!?" Sora said, amazed as a red haired man looked at him with a frown. Vexen blinked.

"The angel-kin you mentioned? How- my god!" The blond wizard looked at the runes in horrified fascination, then lifted his head and spotted what Marluxia was doing with the wall. "Marluxia! Stop this this instant!"

"Not hardly." Marluxia said serenely as Roxas tried to leap over the runes but was held back by Riku. He growled and tried to bite the angel-kin, but Riku rapped him smartly on the back of his head in warning.

"Those runes will burn you, idiot." He snapped as Roxas tried to bite him again. "I know you love him, but he won't thank you for killing yourself!" Roxas settled down a bit as Reno tried to cross the runes and stepped back with a curse as the air in front of him filled with fire. Riku stared at the runes again. There had to be a clue here somewhere. There was a choice he had to make.

Warm arms suddenly hugged him from behind and Riku blinked, realizing it was Sora. He swallowed hard. It was a poor time for sweet meetings, but… he gently put an arm around the little half-succubus, cuddling the boy close for a moment. Glittering black caught his gaze for a moment as he saw the weapon Sora was holding. The odd blade that looked like a key.

_You'll know the choice when you see it._ Riku stared at the blade, hearing his father's words ringing in his mind. A key. He'd always known it was a sign, but never what it was a sign of. Looking down at the runes, he suddenly saw a flaw in them. They were very specific and very powerful, but that was the flaw in them. If anything not encompassed by the four levels of runes touched them, they wouldn't react at all. But for that to be the case…

Riku stood silent for a moment, and Sora looked up at him questioningly. Riku stared down into the demon-kin's face and slowly cupped his face in both hands, looking into those big blue eyes. "Sora, do you trust me?" Sora blinked, surprised.

"Of course!" Sora was surprised that Riku would ask. Riku smiled sadly, and slid a hand over Sora's, the hand holding his weapon. Riku could feel the stomach-churning power of darkness in the blade, but it didn't exactly feel evil. It felt destructive and tainted, but not outright evil. A lot like the demon-kin.

Riku swallowed, forced to face his choice. There were two options. He could do nothing at all. Axel would die and Lusteria would likely fall to whatever spell Marluxia was conjuring for his father, the Sultan of Shonto. No one would know he could have done something to prevent it. Or he could take the second choice and try to absorb part of Sora's power, giving him a touch of his power, and become something that wasn't an angel-kin at all. But in doing so, he would be giving up his angelic heritage to save his friends.

It was painful, worse than selling his home, but in the end the choice was easy to make. Because if he abandoned Axel to his fate Riku would not have been able to look himself in a mirror ever again. He smiled down into Sora's worried eyes and the demon-kin gasped as he felt the unfamiliar burn of angelic power.

"The key to my heart." Riku murmured softly, kissing Sora. Not a chaste kiss, but a full, deep and intense kiss that made the little demon-kin gasp and press up against him. Riku could tell he was aroused just from that contact, and smiled. "This might hurt a bit, Sora, and I'm sorry."

What happened next did hurt, but it was uplifting too. Riku bit his lip in pain as the darkness slid up his arm and into his heart as if it was meant to be there. And Sora wept in pain as the light did the same thing to him, the angelic power stinging as it found a home in his innocent heart. Riku knew now that it was meant to be. Sweet, innocent Sora wasn't meant to be fully in the darkness like Roxas. When it was over, Sora looked up at him with tear filled eyes and Riku stared, amazed, before reaching behind him to stroke the little wings that had appeared on his back. One was white and the other was black.

"Riku… one of your wings turned black?" Sora whispered, a bit horrified. He still didn't understand what had happened. Riku smiled, and gave him another quick kiss.

"I know. It's alright. Come on, we can both pass through the runes now. You free Demyx while I get Axel." Riku turned and stepped purposefully through the runes. They might as well have been crayon drawings on the floor for all they did to stop him. Sora followed confidently and Marluxia whirled around as Riku's sword sliced easily through Axel's bindings. His sword had changed too, the angel-kin noticed. It had always been a curved blade of pure white, but now it had a dark wing on the back. That seemed oddly right. It had been a little incomplete before.

"What in the world?" Marluxia was momentarily shocked but then snarled and summoned his own demonic weapon, a scythe of darkness, and attacked them. Axel was struggling to free his feet as Riku fended off the demon.

It wasn't easy. Marluxia was a master with his scythe and Riku was soon hard pressed. But Marluxia made the fatal mistake of stepping too close to Axel, and the enraged prince grabbed his foot and sent a jolt of fire into him, yanking him off his stride. Riku seized the moment to plunge his blade into Marluxia's chest. He snarled something in his native tongue as he collapsed to the floor, bleeding heavily. Riku didn't understand and couldn't care less. His next strike removed the demon-kin's head, and Roxas gave a loud cheer.

"For a fucking angel-kin, you're pretty awesome, Riku!" Roxas called, and Riku smiled sadly as he looked back at the demon-kin.

"Thanks, Roxas. But I'm not an angel-kin anymore." He had no idea what he was, but he wasn't that. The taint of the darkness was his now, and it always would be. But he was at peace with that.

Riku had made his choice.


	10. Fin

"So what's this amazing, uplifting idea of yours Roxas?" Reno asked as Axel looked at the table listlessly. He'd just finished breaking the news to Larxene, and she hadn't taken it well. Not surprising, really, finding out that your husband and father of your son died committing treason. Although technically, since he was the son of the Sultan would that be treason or loyalty? Axel decided he didn't care, it was treason to Larxene. Fortunately, Kairi was doing a good job of comforting her. Unfortunately, that just emphasized that the Princess really was a very nice girl who didn't deserve what was happening to her.

"How would you like to be Emperor and marry Princess Kairi?" That caught Axel's drifting attention like a magnet and Reno stared at the demon-kin, aghast. Roxas grinned back wickedly.

"What?!? Are you mad? I'm not of the royal line!" Reno said after sputtering a moment as Roxas examined his nails.

"You could be. I mean, look at you and look at Axel." Reno's eyes narrowed and Roxas waved his hand. "I'm not saying your mom was a slut, Reno. But I checked with Demyx, your mom was dead when Axel was born. I bet you anything your dad is his dad too."

"So the Empress committed infidelity. So what?" Reno demanded. "How will that make me Emperor?" Roxas smirked.

"No one has to know that, Reno. If we can produce magical evidence that you're Axel's half-brother, and that shouldn't be hard from what Vexen says, then everyone will assume you're the Emperor's son. We don't have to explain the true facts of the matter. And if you marry Kairi at the same time Axel abdicates for you, you should be golden. Kairi will love it, trust me on this." Reno flushed, then suddenly looked at Axel.

"What do you think of this, Axel?" Axel blinked at the question, feeling a bit stunned at the whole thing.

"Me? Uh… I'm all in favor, Reno. You know I never wanted to be Emperor. I'd abdicate for you and go back to Amateru in a heartbeat." Amateru would be the perfect place for him to go, in fact. It was across the sea so he would be too far away for anyone to suspect him of making mischief, and Amateru wouldn't care at all that he was the ex-prince of Lusteria. Mainly because exiled royals were worth absolutely nothing in terms of ransom. Roxas looked suddenly homesick at the thought.

"Amateru. God, I want to go back to that pesthole." Axel smiled, putting an arm around the little demon-kin and letting him snuggle up. He understood exactly how Roxas was feeling. Right now he wanted nothing more than a crappy sausage in a bun, some good beer and a live show at the Down and Out. Reno rubbed his face with one hand.

"I don't want to be Emperor, but… fuck. I want to marry Kairi. And this is the way I can, is what you're saying." Reno swallowed hard, looking at the floor for a moment before looking up. "Alright, I'll do it. We'll need to make it a public announcement for the court." Axel nodded. "And I should talk to Kairi first." He didn't want to just spring this on her the way Axel's engagement had been sprung on him. It might be less romantic but it was infinitely safer.

"It sounds like we have a plan." Roxas said brightly. "I'm going to tell Sora and Riku, they'll love it." Riku was having a bit of trouble adjusting to the palace. Servants tended to make him nervous, especially the ones who cooed over Sora. The silver haired man was trying to adjust to his new half-angel, half-demon status and seemed to be developing a bit of possessiveness towards Sora. Roxas hopped off his chair and shot out of the room to give them the good news.

"Hey guys! Guess what?" Roxas walked into the bedroom with a fine disregard for privacy, then blinked at the bed. There was a hot, heavy scent in the air and Riku and Sora were tangled together in the most intimate way. The angel-kin blushed brightly, pulling away from Sora and grabbing the blanket to cover himself. Sora made a small, protesting sound before glaring at his brother.

"Roxas! God, can't you knock?" Sora complained as Roxas grinned. "You're lucky we were finished." If Roxas had interrupted them right in the middle, Sora would have had to kill him. And Riku would probably have helped.

"Well, it's the middle of the day Sora. I mean, come on. But it's about time! Finally I won't have to listen to both of you masturbating at night." Sora blushed scarlet as Riku hid his face in shame.

"You… heard that?" Riku croaked out as Roxas laughed. "Damned demon-kin!"

"That's me. So yeah, guess what? We're going back to Amateru! As soon as Axel abdicates for Reno." That made them both blink, and Roxas explained his little plot to them. Riku nodded.

"It's a good plan. I can't wait to get back, although." Riku hesitated, glancing at Sora. "We don't really have a home anymore." That made both the brothers blink, and Roxas frowned.

"What do you mean we don't-oh." Roxas stared at Riku. "You sold the house?" Roxas paled. He hadn't thought of that until just now. He'd assumed Riku had ripped off a crime lord or something to get here and they might have to deal with that, but it had never occurred to him that he might have sold the house. Sora looked appalled. He understood how much the house had meant to Riku.

"It was just a thing." Riku said tranquilly. "It didn't matter. We can always buy a new home, especially if we steal some of the appalling art around this place before we leave." There was a stunned silence before Sora burst into giggles.

"Riku, you really have changed." Sora hugged Riku who smiled and hugged him back, nuzzling his spiky brown hair.

"I think it's mostly a good thing." He felt closer to Sora than he ever had before. It was as if a permanent connection had been forged between them when they shared their power, and perhaps it had. Sometimes he felt the loss of his angelic heritage, but whenever he did he only had to look at Sora to know it was worth it. "You've changed too." There was an extra depth to Sora's sweetness now. It seemed more like who he was, rather than just an innocence that would wear off with passing time. "I love you so much." Riku murmured, then winced as Roxas cleared his throat.

"Yeah, well, now that you've mentioned the lack of a home. Riku, we don't want to fight crime anymore." Roxas decided to come right to the point they had been discussing before soldiers had shanghaied them to Lusteria. Riku raised a hand before Roxas could go on.

"It's okay, Roxas. I don't want to anymore either." The two brothers both stared at him, and Riku smiled sadly. "It just wouldn't feel right anymore, and besides… I always knew there would be a time when I would have a family and need to give it up. I've realized that the four of you are my family, so maybe it's time to do something for us." Riku wasn't sure exactly what, although he was sure Roxas had some ideas. "We can decide what later. For now, I think you should get out of here." Sora's hand had snuck over under the covers and was doing wonderful things to him. Riku could easily take the hint, and the demon-kin power seemed to have advantages in stamina. Roxas grinned, jumping back to his feet.

"Okay, later. Have lots of fun and make lots of babies." Sora snarled at him, but Riku easily took his mind off his departing brother, and Roxas grinned as he heard the sounds of passion starting again. It made him want Axel. Sure, it was mid-day, but why not?

Why not indeed? Roxas laughed as he went to find the redhead. Soon they would be going back to Amateru, and he couldn't wait. Soon, they would be free.

* * *

"I have an announcement to make." Axel stood in front of the court. By all rights, this should have been his coronation ceremony. But it wasn't going to be, and Princess Kairi was standing to one side, looking radiantly happy. That was getting some odd looks from the nobles waiting for the ceremony to begin. She shouldn't have been there at all. "I am sorry, but I have decided I am not fit to be Emperor." There was a soft gasp from the surrounding nobles and the ambassadors of other realms. "For a time I thought there was no choice, since my cousin Demyx refuses to take the throne. But I have found another claimant of far greater ability than I." Axel continued, expression serene as he put himself down. It wasn't hard, really, since he was still completely ignorant of politics. "I hearby abdicate in favor of my half-brother Reno. The Emperor's Wizards have tested us both and certified that he is indeed my half-brother." Wondering eyes turned to Reno, but no one seemed really shocked. Axel wondered how obvious it had been. The answer looked to be very. No wonder his 'father' hadn't liked him as a child. Reno stepped up to speak.

"We've both agreed that I will take the throne and my half-brother Axel will return to his life in Amateru with my blessings. And also," Reno walked over to Kairi, taking her hands. "Princess, will you marry me?"

"With all my heart." She said, her eyes shining. The proposal was no surprise, but she still seemed overjoyed, hugging Reno impulsively as the applause started. Axel smiled as he heard a few cheers. Kairi had made herself popular around the palace and he felt that it was a good omen.

The coronation ceremony proceeded from there, the only difference being who was crowned, and Axel looked down as he felt a hand slip into his. He smiled as he squeezed Roxas' hand and the little blond smiled at him.

It was going to be so good to go home.

* * *

A month later.

Axel walked down the streets of Amateru eating a truly appalling sausage in a bun. Riku sniffed his dubiously and took a small bite of his sausage before making a face.

"What kind of meat is this? It tastes like fish and rat. And sawdust." Riku took another bite before stopping. "This just isn't edible."

"Oh yeah? Pass it over here then, I'm hungry." Riku shrugged and handed Roxas his sausage. The little demon-kin downed it with gusto. "Think they'll start the training today?" They had applied for the Black Jewels and been accepted, but they were currently in a holding pattern waiting for more recruits.

"I hope so, I'm getting bored." Axel replied, finishing his sausage without complaint. He'd put on a ton of hot sauce anyway, so he couldn't really taste it. Always a wise move with Amateru street food. "Although it's nice that they're paying us just to wait." They were all getting a low wage as recruits and it started as soon as they were accepted.

Things were going rather well for the foursome. They hadn't needed to steal the artwork after all. Reno had willingly given them all the money they needed to buy a new house and set themselves up in whatever they wanted to do. It had been all Axel could do to stop him from giving them a small fortune. Riku had already put most of it into the new house, and the rest had gone into various investments. Axel was hazy on most of them, except the condom factory stock. He remembered that one because Roxas had laughed himself silly at it. Condoms were a new invention and apparently were already getting very popular as a way to prevent some of the worst diseases and help out the anti-pregnancy charms. Those things weren't completely fail-proof, especially since they ran out and you couldn't always count on them to last as long as they said on the box.

"Hey, you lot again. You're in luck, the training is starting today." The man at the gate, a powerful demon-kin, said as soon as they walked up and Axel grinned. "Let me show you the way. Martin, you take care of things here." He motioned over another man, and opened the gate for them. Axel admired his wings for a moment. Unlike most demon-kin, they were huge and functional.

"Alright you meatheads, listen up!" The trainer, a gnoll-breed woman with dark brown fur and hard green eyes, barked as they took their place with the other recruits. There were only perhaps fifteen of them, but for an elite outfit like the Black Jewels that was a good number. "I'm Kukui the Vile, and you are all my bitches until I say otherwise." Axel poked Roxas before he could snarl. "This training is going to hurt, and if any of you can't take it you can get the hell out. Got it?" A short pause. "I can't hear you!"

"Got it!" Came back the ragged chorus, and she sneered at them all.

"Good. Show me your weapons." Axel summoned up his chakram in a burst of fire, and her attention immediately went to him. "Showing off, recruit?"

"No ma'am! That's just how they work." He said as humbly as he could. "I use a dagger when I don't want attention." She snorted but examined his weapons, then nodded.

"Fine." She examined the rest of the recruits gear, pausing a bit over Riku and Sora. Sora's key had gained white little jewels set in it, and they glowed with holy power against the blackness of the key. "Your gear will do. Now, let's begin." Axel smiled as the exercises began. He thought he was going to like this.

It was a good start to the rest of his life.

_And until I decide otherwise…_

_~FIN~_


End file.
